GCRF - Drugs and (dis)order: Building sustainable peacetime economies in the aftermath of war

Lead Research Organisation: School of Oriental and African Studies
Department Name: Development Studies

Abstract

First, the project will engage scholars working on the political economy of conflict and war to peace transitions. This includes researchers working on issues of violence (e.g. Christopher Cramer, Stathis Kalyvas, Teo Ballve), resources, statebuilding and political settlements (e.g. Jonathan Di John, James Putzel, Philippe Le Billon, Douglass North and Mushtaq Khan), and hybrid political orders (e.g. Volker Boege, Kate Meagher). The research will contribute to this literature by providing a comparative evidence base regarding the perpetuation of criminalised economies in peacetime and the complex dilemmas and trade-offs that exist between peacebuilding, development and counter narcotics efforts to tackle illicit economies. The research will be disseminated through publication in leading development and politics journals, through engagement with existing research networks (such as the Political Settlements Research Programme) and UK and international conferences.

Second, the research will benefit scholars working on drugs and other illicit economies, including Pierre-Arnaud Chouvy, Carolyn Nordstrom, Richard Snyder, Ko-Lin Chin, Francisco Thoumi. The research aims to redefine the field of drugs and development by generating an innovative, interdisciplinary framework for conceptualising the dynamics surrounding drug economies that combines political economy, livelihoods, gender, and public health analysis to understand the tensions that exist between counter-narcotics policies and concurrent efforts to address state fragility and poverty. The project is well-placed to disseminate research to audiences across different disciplines through the SOAS Violence, Conflict and Development research cluster, the new SOAS Corruption Centre, the LSE IDEAS International Drug Policy Project, the Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour (CRDHB) and The Centre for Health and Social Change (ECOHOST) (both hosted by the LSHTM).

Third, the research will strengthen recent borderland studies scholarship focused on how state margins are not simply reflective of power relations at the centre, but are often constitutive of new political and economic orders (e.g. Hastings Donnan, Thomas Wilson, Benedikt Korf, Timothy Raeymaekers, Paul Nugent, James Scott and Willem van Schendel). Research will strengthen this growing body of literature by demonstrating how a borderlands perspective can address the lack of sensitivity to space in much of the literature on war to peace transitions and statebuilding, which focuses predominantly on national-level political settlements. The research will engage beneficiaries by submitting publications to targeted journals including Geoforum and Journal of Borderland Studies, and through interacting with the Asian Borderlands Research Network, the Association for Borderland Studies and the African Borderlands Research Network.

Fourth, the project will provide an important contribution to the literature engaged with developing new research approaches for working in insecure terrain (e.g. Gutierrez-Sanin, Mansfield, Ko-Lin Chin). The research's integration of in-depth fieldwork, GIS spatial imagery and public health analysis will showcase methodological innovation that may then be adapted to other research initiatives in drugs and conflict-affected environments. These findings will be disseminated through the project's workshops and capacity building initiatives with UK-based and southern researchers.

The project aims to strengthen the links between UK and southern researchers in Afghanistan, Colombia and Myanmar across all of these areas of knowledge by establishing an extensive research network through the project's proposed Policy Lab and subsequent Research Consortium for Transforming Illicit Economies.

Planned Impact

The project aims to develop more sustainable and inclusive peace-building and counter-narcotics responses in Afghanistan, Colombia and Myanmar and other fragile regions across the world.

Illicit drug economies pose huge developmental challenges. They may finance and fuel violent conflict and drug use can have a devastating impact on communities. However, counter-narcotics strategies launched under the rubric of the 'war on drugs' have also had serious adverse impacts, increasing the impoverishment and vulnerability of marginalised communities that depend on drug cultivation and, by criminalising users, have undermined an effective public health response to drug use.

If the development and welfare challenges facing drug-producing countries are to be addressed effectively a new approach is needed. This approach needs to be more evidence based and attuned to the distribution of costs and policy trade-offs associated with different interventions in drug-affected environments. There is a need for careful, empirically grounded research that reveals how particular policy combinations may, in particular settings, promote more inclusive and peaceable forms of development in drug affected environments.

This project aims to promote a more developmental approach to drugs so that local, national and international counter-narcotic strategies are more sensitive to their health, livelihoods and gender dimensions. It aims to support NGOS, international policymakers and national governments to: (i) ensure greater alignment of counter-narcotics and peacebuilding activities around the UN Sustainable Development Goals; (ii) improve the health status and licit economic opportunities in drug-producing environments; (iii) reduce levels of violence related to counter-narcotic interventions; (iv) strengthen the capacity of government institutions and civil society groups to manage external assistance and counter-narcotics interventions.

In order to achieve these aims, the project will:

1. Build a strong, policy-relevant evidence base to inform policies related to peacebuilding and illicit drug production in fragile and conflict-affected environments
The project will develop a comprehensive body of evidence from three of the world's largest drug-producing countries to support policymakers and development agencies grappling with challenges of how to engage more effectively in fragile contexts. By developing an innovative interdisciplinary and mixed methods approach, this project will advance theoretical and empirical analysis leading to improved development and peacebuilding interventions.

2. Strengthen the capacity of research organisations in Afghanistan, Colombia and Myanmar
The project will develop a suite of training, collaboration and shared learning initiatives with research partner organisations to strengthen their capacity to generate rigorous, credible and high impact research, and to engage with local communities and national and international policymakers. These initiatives include an extensive annual 'Research Partner Training Programme' in the UK, as well as on the job training and mentoring and cross-country learning between the research organisations. This will strengthen the capacity of developing country partners to deploy advanced interdisciplinary research methods and to engage with major academic and policy debates around illicit drug economies. It will also encompass a series of distance learning and vocational training initiatives encompassing proposal writing, project management, and communication of results.

3. Develop a 'Research Consortium for the Transformation of Illicit Economies'
The enduring institutional legacy of the project will be the creation of a Research Consortium, led by SOAS. This will provide a hub for methodological innovation, policy dialogue and advocacy and capacity-building training programmes for research organisations in developing countries and for policymakers.
 
Title Colombia's Broken Peace 
Description This animation tells the story of Roger, an Afro-Colombian activist, and Joanna, a peasant farmer, as they navigate lives impacted by conflict and the illicit drug economy in Colombia's borderlands. Their stories spotlight the complex relationship between coca, development and peace in Colombia, and why for many people like Roger and Joanna, lasting peace remains elusive. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact Reaching a wider audience to engage with the project's research. Worked with local artists and they developed their skills in working with digital medium. This was their first commission on drugs - and proved a thematic learning experience for them. Through the production of these creative outputs, they've further deepened their practice in communicating real stories on challenging and complex topics, they've made connections within research and they've worked on creative outputs grounded in academic rigor. In the case of Inty Grillos who produced this animation, they shared their learning from this experience in two engagement workshops and future workshops are planned to share reflections and learning around developing equitable international interdisciplinary creative partnerships. 
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/2022/03/11/colombias-broken-peace/
 
Title Comic: 
Description This comic tells the story of Nang Nang and Sai Sai, illustrating the proliferation of drugs and their impact on young people in Shan State, Myanmar. 
Type Of Art Artwork 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact Enables project themes to reach a wider audience especially youth groups in Myanmar. One of the Myanmar researchers used the comic as the basis for a discussion with UK A level students for an event organised by the Sutton Trust on access to higher education. 
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/2022/03/10/nang-nang-and-sai-sai-drugs-and-their-impact-on-young-peop...
 
Title Comic: Jangul: conflict and drug trafficking in Afghanistan's borderlands 
Description This comic tells the story of Jangul, a man from Nangarhar province in Afghanistan. From helping his father in the poppy fields as a child, to smuggling heroin all the way to Moscow as an adult, opium has been a part of Jangul's life - through conflict and desperation, and relative peace and security. 
Type Of Art Artwork 
Year Produced 2020 
Impact These comics will allow entry points and dissemination opportunities to non-academic stakeholders and have an explicit aim of de-stigmatising those involved in drugs use, trafficking and/or use and creating a platform for marginalised voices. 
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/2020/07/29/jangul-conflict-and-drug-trafficking-in-afghanistans-borde...
 
Title Comic: Jessica: Coca growing, stigmatization, violence and development in Colombia 
Description Jessica is a social leader from Putumayo on Colombia's southern border with Ecuador. Jessica's story spotlights the stigmatisation and violence associated with coca farming, as well as the welfare benefits and development it brings to families, communities and whole regions - it's a story of resilience, violence and tough trade-offs. 
Type Of Art Artwork 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact Engagement with wider audiences and two engagement workshops held to discuss comic and promoted in national media 
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/2020/09/21/jessica-coca-growing-stigmatization-violence-and-developme...
 
Title Comic: Naw Hkam's Story: Youth and Drugs in the Borderlands of Kachin State, Myanmar 
Description Naw Hkam, a young man from Kachin State tells the story of how sustained drug use has impacted on his life, as well as the lives of those in his borderland community. 
Type Of Art Artwork 
Year Produced 2022 
Impact Able to engage non-academic audience with themes and topics, notably youth groups. 
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/2022/03/09/naw-hkams-story-youth-and-drugs-in-the-borderlands-of-kach...
 
Title Easy Money 
Description In November 2021, staged Exhibition called "Easy Money" in Bogta , Colombia. The main's purpose of the exhibition was to show photos of the coca economy, coca growers and raspachines (children involved in coca production) and their work in the world of the coca production. We highlighted that the coca economy is not easy work; on the contrary, it demands long hours and high risk. The exhibition ran from November 25th to November 27th. 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact Drew in a wide and varied audience and helped support the de-stigmatisation of the coca growers. 
URL https://www.observatoriodetierras.org/dinero-facil/
 
Title Forced eradication: A policy that Kills - Multi media special report 
Description A multimedia report that shows incidents (confrontations between the public forces and rural populations or other disturbances) that occurred in the midst of forced manual eradication of illicit crops in Colombia. It draws on a database, created as part of the project, which records these events from 2016. In this, we order the incidents that we have recorded and locate them in an interactive map. It also includes a video database that registers these incidents and the violence exerted by the military forces against peasant communities. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact We shared this information with different actors, including politicians. Obtained a positive response from the COCCAM and other organizations that actually share and have used the database. We received an important response from the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP for its acronym in spanish) who are really interested in our work and they will create a special group that investigates this topic. A newspaper (El Espectador) also elaborated an article based on the database information. 
URL https://www.observatoriodetierras.org/forced-erradication-a-policy-that-kills/
 
Description Since the start of the project extensive fieldwork has taken place across all three case study countries, with over 2000 interviews and surveys conducted across 9 borderland regions in Afghanistan, Colombia and Myanmar. There have been delays and adaptations to the fieldwork due to the pandemic, but also as a result of the coup in Myanmar (Feb 2021) and the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan (August 2021). Despite these setbacks, the project has managed to remain on track with much of its research plan. The research is generating fine-grained analysis of how the political economy of illicit drugs shapes the dynamics of violence, conflict and development in these countries. While each country, and each borderland, has a unique history and experience of illicit drug economies, violence and development, the project is generating several overarching findings in relation to war-to-peace transitions, illicit economies and processes of development, and the role of drugs in the everyday lives of borderland communities. Rethinking the drugs-development-peacebuilding nexus and developing a conceptual framework and tool - the policy trilemma - to understand and reframe debates has been a critical dimension of our work during the past year. Recent years have seen the emergence of a policy consensus around the need for fundamental reforms of global drug policies. This is reflected in the call for 'development-oriented drug policies' that align and integrate drug policies with development and peacebuilding objectives, as captured in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These calls have been important in acknowledging the damage caused by the war on drugs and in drawing attention to how drugs are inextricably linked to wider development and peacebuilding challenges. Yet there remain major barriers to more integrated, conflict-sensitive and development-oriented drug policies. First, the policy fields of drugs control and development are divided by different - if not opposing - goals, metrics of success and policy instruments. Second, there is a major lacuna in understanding how to reconcile drugs, peacebuilding and development policies in practice. The project's research findings emphasize the need to address the inherent tensions and trade-offs surrounding efforts to pursue drug policy goals, poverty alleviation, and efforts to reduce levels of large-scale armed violence. The project has developed the idea of a drugs-development-peace policy trilemma to advance discussion and debate on how to engage with the tensions and trade-offs between these policy fields, their distributional effects, and the need to ensure the most vulnerable do not bear the primary costs of such policies. Our project and the data gathered shows that drugs must be treated as a crucial and long-term development challenge for countries in the 'global South'. Although the SDGs make only minor reference to illicit drugs issues, it is assumed that development will generate viable alternative livelihood options for those engaged in drug economies. However, project research indicates a more complex relationship between drugs and development. Development may generate new forms of dispossession, exclusion and livelihood insecurity that push people into engaging with illicit drug economies. Drug economies can also have positive development effects, especially on the poorest and most marginalized. This complex relationship between drugs and development warns against simplistic narratives of drugs as good or bad for development and poverty alleviation. Instead, project research emphasizes the need to focus analysis on the distributive impacts of drug economies and drugs and development policies. Negotiations surrounding the allocation of rents linked to the drug economy may be integral to stabilising political settlements that manage armed conflict in drug-affected borderlands. Illicit drug economies are an essential foundation of local power structures in borderland regions of Afghanistan, Myanmar and Colombia. Subsequent efforts to tackle drugs can destabilise political settlements that have coalesced around the drug economy. However, efforts to stabilise armed conflict can also result in forms of "elite capture", where elites monopolise the benefits of peace and leave little scope for sustained progressive change. Serious research and honest policy dialogues have to start with recognition of these kinds of dilemmas and trade-offs, as well as an understanding of the context that determines or influences them and their distributional consequences. Using a borderland lens and the lived experiences of people involved in the drug economy, the Drugs & (dis)order project has amassed a substantial evidence base that considers borderlands and frontier regions as a critical (and often overlooked) vantage point to better understand processes of state formation and development. Our research findings challenge the tendency amongst policymakers to view borderlands as marginal, disconnected and ungoverned zones that need to be pacified, incorporated and developed. This state-centric perspective, which views borderlands as passive receptors of state policies and initiatives, misses the role that the margins play in constituting power at the centre. Indeed, far from being left behind or disconnected, borderlands are places of ingenuity, innovation and transformation that play an important role in shaping what happens in national and global centres. Our research shows how the dynamics of borderland regions - including illicit drug production - are less a consequence of their lack of political and economic integration, and more a function of the way these integrative processes are imposed, resisted and brokered by multiple sets of actors, interests and relations operating across local, national, cross border and global scales.
Exploitation Route In the last 12 months, the project produced a significant number of written outputs. A key achievement over the past year has been to engage diverse academic and non-academic with our findings, through our policy lab; our Advisory Board; numerous engagement, dissemination and media activities; and our final conference. The policy lab in particular produced an insightful set of conversations between researchers and senior policy actors working across the drugs, peacebuilding, and development spheres. The policy lab group included representatives of governments in the UK, Afghanistan and Colombia, as well as multilateral organisations (UN, EU, Pathfinders Group), and CSOs and think tanks (Transnational Institute, Christian Aid, Brookings Institute). We held two policy labs in 2021 (February and October) and in March 2022 published a policy working paper on the outcomes and learnings from the lab - 'Drugs & (dis)order Policy Lab: An experiment in sustained critical engagement between researchers and policymakers'. This offers insights and learning, as well as an adaptable model, for bringing together research and policy making communities into constructive dialogue. In the longer term, our approach aims to support the future uptake of project findings by both policy and civil society stakeholders, building on our conversations on how to refocus the policy debates in this area.

Alongside our engagement with policy makers, government representatives and civil servants (see engagement activity) there have been concerted efforts in the last year to engage local civil society and activist groups (notably in Colombia and Myanmar, less so in Afghanistan). In Myanmar we focused on youth groups affected by drug use and in Colombia on coca growers and civil society groups tackling issues around illicit crop substitution, violent forced eradication of crops, and chemical harms associated with coca production. There is considerable potential to take this work forward after the project ends and we hope to do so through the establishment of a new research centre that will build on the project's research.

In terms of outputs in 2021/22 the project published 24 journal articles and five book chapters. Fifteen further articles are in the final stages of planning/peer review. We have several articles in an upcoming special issue of Third World Quarterly on Everyday Politics of Drugs and an approved special issue of the Journal of Peasant Studies for 2022. We have published six working papers alongside our second flagship report - Voices from the Borderlands - which was launched in February 2022. In addition, we have published four policy-focused briefs and reports, and ten blogs. The most recent policy paper, "Violence, peace and drugs in the borderlands" (published by Christian Aid) formed the basis of an online roundtable discussion hosted by the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO), and a session in the 'Beyond Securitisation' stream at Geneva Peace Week.

We have produced four comics and two animations (in English and local languages) that draw on the lived experience of people in the margins and borderlands engaged in the drug economy. These outputs make our findings and work more accessible to wider, non-academic audiences. The project extension will allow us to develop our engagement plan for these outputs.

Also in the last year, the project has used its findings to develop a distance learning module, part of the online SOAS MSc in Development Studies. We are in the final stages of developing a five-week accessible online course with Future Learn: "Drugs and Peacebuilding: Human-Centred Policy Development". This will be an important output to bring our research to a much wider audience.

We have managed to secure some seed funding from SOAS which, combined with extension of the project, will allow us to establish a Research Centre to further develop the research and outcomes initiated by the project, with many outputs and associated activities still in pipeline. The Centre is seeking funding to broaden the thematic and geographic focus of the current research, but will also act as a mechanism to ensure further promotion and uptake of the evidence base generated by the project, extending its reach. Our engagement strategy for the remainder of the project and through the Centre will continue to focus on policy, academic and civil society actors. Partner-driven initiatives will ensure that our findings are locally accessible and relevant.

In October 2022 SOAS established the Centre for Illicit Economies, Violence and Development (CIVAD) to build a legacy around the project. As part of this initiative we develop a strategic partnership with RUSI, which involved running a highly successful seminar series on illicit economies, violence and development. Subsequently we jointly developed an ESRC Large Grant bid which successfully reached the second round and was submitted in March 2023. Other research bids have been submitted including an ESRC Future Leaders proposal, whilst additional bids are under preparation.
Sectors Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy
URL https://drugs-disorder.soas.ac.uk
 
Description Impact takes time to filter through to non-academic audiences. Nevertheless the project has ramped up its engagement activities in last 12 months with a real focus on working with those at the forefront of policymaking as well as with local communities affected by drugs to realise some of the potential impact of our findings. Invariably our engagement plans have been constrained to some extent by the pandemic and, perhaps more so, by security issues and conflict in Myanmar and Afghanistan, in particular, but also in Colombia. Despite this we have made concerted efforts to navigate this terrain and work with the communities where we think our research outputs and findings can have most impact. Notable examples from the last 12-18 months are highlighted below: UK/EU/Global: We have responded to multiple invitations from UK government departments (including the Stabilisation Unit and FCDO) to provide briefings and masterclasses on illicit economies and borderlands on Afghanistan and Myanmar. These events have the potential to inform and influence wider thinking about UK policy and have increased awareness of the project, plus consolidated key contacts in UK policy making circles (three representatives from FCDO sit on our Advisory Board). We will continue to develop these relationships and connections beyond the life of the project. Through the work of our partner Christian Aid we have also had a series of engagements with the EU (including Roundtables with European Peacebuilding Liaison Office, EU representation within our policy labs). In our most recent policy paper there are a series of EU specific policy recommendations on borderlands, drugs, violence and peace, including advocating a cross-sectoral approach to drugs, development and peace; a stronger peace and development focus in the current Drugs Strategy; broadening indicators for successful counter-narcotics policy; ensuring women's equal rights to participate in and benefit from decision-making and programmes around drugs, peace and development; and attention to human rights and do no harm principles when engaging with fragile states and illicit economies. At the international level we ran the aforementioned policy labs (Feb 2021 and October 2021), the first focused on drugs and peace processes and the second on drugs and alternative development. Those participating commended the initiative and stressed the critical importance of these types of facilitated conversations between researchers and policy makers. They also benefited from comparative conversations across countries and across the policy areas. The lab included representation from three governments (Colombia, Afghanistan, UK); several multi-lateral organisations (UN, EU, and the US and European Institutes of Peace) and academics inside and outside of the project. The project brokered a policy-practitioner workshop with INGOs (including representatives from Adapt Peacebuilding; Asia Foundation; Forum ZFD Philippines; Health Poverty Action; International Alert and Christian Aid, as well as the project team) looking at how issues of illicit drug economies have arisen in their peacebuilding and development work, and how they have been addressed (if at all), and how the findings from the project could shape or inform their work in this area. Through PositiveNegatives the project has worked with creative collaborators through the production of 6 non-academic visual outputs (2 animations and 4 comics) aiming to engage wider audiences with our research. Over the course of the project, we've collaborated with 18 creatives from around the world. The outputs were based on first-hand testimonies collected through project research. Five of the artists we've worked with are from, and based in the borderland and conflict-affected regions in Colombia and Myanmar and two of those artists/collectives produced work in mediums brand new to them. In particular, the Colombia programme of work is producing lasting impact with our creative collaborators. Inty Grillos, who produced the Colombian comic and animation, were primarily a street art collective and this was the first time they had worked in a digital medium and produced a comic and animation. This new medium opened their creative practice up to a whole new range of audiences, as digitally shared comics have a markedly different reach and potential for impact than street murals. For all of the artists that we have worked with in this project, this was their first commission on drugs - and proved a thematic learning experience for them. Through the production of these creative outputs, they've further deepened their practice in communicating real stories on challenging and complex topics, they've made connections within research and they've worked on creative outputs grounded in academic rigor. In the case of Inty Grillos they shared their learning from this experience in two engagement workshops and future workshops are planned to share reflections and learning around developing equitable international interdisciplinary creative partnerships. In February the Project held its final conference - Drugs & (dis)order: Findings and Future Directions with representation from all partners across the project. Over 400 people registered and nearly 300 people attended at some point over the three day online event. This was an opportunity to share the project's research and learning with a much wider audience (both academic and non-academic). We have also produced an online Masters' module derived from project research and will shortly produce an online course on 'Drugs and Peacebuilding: Human-Centred Policy Development' which has the potential to significantly extend the reach of the project findings. Country specific impacts: Afghanistan · The upheaval preceding and following the Taliban takeover has seriously constrained the ability of the project to engage with different communities (policy, government, civil society) in Afghanistan to share findings and pursue an impact strategy. Our approach in Afghanistan has focused more on publications than in-person engagements and dialogues. Beyond the country, we have been able to respond to heightened demand from the international community for expert analysis and data on these issues. In particular, there has been a demand for evidence from the UK government. Between 2019 and 2021 the project provided evidence to the UK House of Lords inquiry into UK policy in Afghanistan; responded to information requests from the Commons; has provided tailored briefings to the UK Stabilisation Unit and has led three briefing sessions for FCDO staff in Islamabad/Kabul; contributed to a briefing of UK-based FCDO staff on the design for their humanitarian and development strategies for Afghanistan under the Taliban drawing on the project's research findings. The PI was also interviewed for an FCDO horizon scanning exercise to address big challenges facing Afghanistan. Following the Taliban takeover in August 2021 the PI received a substantial number of media requests and notably authored a piece in The Conversation which received over 183,000 reads (a series of six Conversation articles emerging from the project there have over 204,000 reads). He was also interviewed on the BBC, Al Jazeera, ABC Australia and Bloomberg and quoted in the Telegraph, Independent and LA Times among others. Despite the many constraints, both Afghan partners were active on international platforms such as the World Bank Fragility Forum, Geneva Peace Week and briefings to the UK government, which provided space to share analysis, findings and recommendations from this research. Although it is difficult to quantify the impact of these engagements, we have plans to monitor this more systematically in the coming months with support from an evaluation specialist. Colombia In Colombia the project has undertaken extensive work with local communities. As previously reported, the research team, based at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, has worked closely with human rights and social activist groups to use evidence gathered through the project to advocate for the rights of peasant farmer communities at both the national and local levels. One example was the presentation of evidence from the project at a judicial tribunal in Cauca that led to a judicial decision to stop the forced eradication of illicit crops in Cauca. The focus of their engagement work with local communities and activist organizations has been to build legal capacities through the provision of training on fundamental rights, and in particular rights and duties within the context of the substitution program; and legal mechanisms and actions for the protection and defence of human rights. Additionally they have provided legal support in specific cases, as above, providing expert evidence and drafting of legal petitions and judicial actions to suspend forced eradication of coca crops, and frame government non-compliance with the crop substitution programme as a violation of basic rights. In their work with LSHTM, the team have included participatory approaches to their work on reducing the harms of chemical use in coca cultivation and processing, co-producing practical strategies and resources with cocalero families. Through Christian Aid, the project supported anti-stigmatisation of coca growers' campaign in collaboration with COCCAM, a national CSO representing coca growers. They partnered with the Nacional research team and CAJAR - a legal and human rights NGO - to develop training modules on legal strategies against forced eradication. In the past year the project supported a local advocacy tour led by ASCAMCAT (an association of peasant farmers in Catatumbo) and local women and youth groups in Catatumbo. They brokered a meeting with the Ombudsman's Office which agreed to carry out a course with women and youth in Catatumbo about Human Rights Defence. Through the project they were also able to lobby the Government of Norte de Santander to include the voices of women and youth in the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive strategy for the care of communities in Catatumbo, including topics such as health, education and alternative viable economic activities. Our second research partner in Colombia, CESED, Universidad de los Andes, has just completed an extensive survey on governance in post-conflict environments where illicit crops are cultivated. They are currently analysing the results of the survey. While there are no impacts yet, it is expected the research will help policy makers and the wider public identify critical areas where former conflict zones would benefit from development and reconciliation interventions. The intention is to do this by showing how conflict zones are different from other areas in the country in terms of how people perceive the state, the quality of service provision, local politics, political participation and democracy, and the presence of organized crime. This work will continue post-project. Myanmar As with Afghanistan, the context for impact was constrained in Myanmar following the February 2021 coup. One partner had to relocate from Myanmar to Thailand and the plan for engagement had to be radically adjusted in the context of growing insecurity and risk. Nevertheless we can still point to a number of interventions that have or will likely generate impact in the short to medium term. Perhaps most notable has been the growth in research capacity of the two collaborating partners in Myanmar. In 2020, the Kachinland Research Centre (KRC), was appointed as the state coordinator for a major USAID project on drugs and HIV/AIDS, demonstrating their growing capacity to convene and lead on research in the region; under this initiative they are leading a consortium of 11 civil society and faith-based orrganisations in Kachin State. Their appointment was enabled by capacities developed through the project; KRC's director has reflected that through their experience of working on this project over the past four years KRC have been able to grow in a short period of time and establish themselves as a credible research organisation in the region. Our second partner, as an independent media organisation, has been more directly affected by the military coup and faced considerable difficulties over the past year. Notwithstanding these challenges they have adapted their plan and managed to conduct engagement activity with youth organisations to develop a better understanding of youth vulnerabilities around drugs. Emerging from this was a series of 20 short podcasts on drugs and youth through their media arm. They emphasised that having materials in local languages has been really important for their engagement initiatives. The comics have been particularly useful in engaging youth groups with the findings of the project and facilitating discussions around their own experiences. The Myanmar team has also delivered two masterclasses to FCDO in the UK. The focus was on the failure of the peace process in Myanmar, from a borderland perspective. This led to follow-up engagements and ongoing discussions between the project and FCDO. Co-I Meehan was invited to sit on a steering committee for an FCDO/Asia Foundation project on conflict in Eastern Myanmar. The UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) consulted Co-I Meehan on armed conflict in Shan State and Kachin State. He also provided an executive briefing for the Irish Embassy, Bangkok on Myanmar's stalled peace process. One of the SHAN researchers provided a briefing to the EU ambassador to Myanmar in May last year with key points drawn from the project's stakeholder analysis working paper for Myanmar. The research undertaken by LSHTM in Myanmar was delayed and it is too early to outline impacts, but it is anticipated this research will inform advocacy and programming efforts for people who use drugs in Myanmar. There is currently a dissemination plan with a civil society partner, the Asia Harm Reduction Network, who will utilise their long-term dissemination and impact expertise and knowledge of the policy and programming environment in Myanmar. Evaluation of impact: As stated above it is very difficult to discern research and project impact in the short term, whilst the project is still active, producing data and writing up results. We do however plan to monitor impact beyond the project lifecycle. This will be done through the activities of the research centre and through an impact evaluation during the course of 2022, to be conducted by a SOAS-based evaluation specialist. While this will not focus so much on policy impact or social change, as it is too early to assess this in a meaningful way, it will look at how the project has sought to engage different communities, making our research responsive and meaningful to them, and the extent to which this has been successful. It will also reflect on how these relationships can be sustained and developed for ongoing impact and what has been learned and gained from the process by all stakeholders involved including the project team. In spite of the constraints imposed by Covid and regime changes in Afghanistan and Myanmar, the project achieved some success in the area of civil society engagement and policy engagement with project findings. The ambition and scope for civil society groups at the local and national levels in Afghanistan, Colombia and Myanmar to engage with the project's findings was of course affected by regime changes in Afghanistan and Myanmar. In the early stages of the project, roundtables with civil society participants were convened by the project; after the regime changes, such events became impossible. Two of the project's partners (AREU and SHAN), themselves civil society groups that were intended to lead engagement activities, were forced to flee Afghanistan and Myanmar respectively, and the remaining in-country partners (OSDR and KRC) operated in a turbulent and often unsafe environment. In Colombia, by contrast, the project's partners occupied a civic space in which it was possible to convene multi-stakeholder networks for research and advocacy at different levels - despite heightened political violence and insecurity. In this context, many different civil society groups - from village groups and neighbourhood associations to networks of coca growers to human rights activists - engaged with different aspects of the research findings. The project adapted to the contextual changes in Afghanistan and Myanmar by intensifying its engagement with international civil society networks working on peace and development in these countries, keeping the issue of illicit drugs on the table in many different international fora, as well as extending engagement work across borders - in Myanmar's case working with diaspora populations in Thailand on addressing youth drug harms. Over the course of the project, we've collaborated with 18 creatives from around the world. In particular, the Colombia programme of work is producing lasting impact with our creative collaborators. Inty Grillos, who produced a comic and animation, were primarily a street art collective and this was the first time they had worked in a digital medium. This was their first commission on the topic of drugs - and proved a thematic learning experience for them. Through the production of these creative outputs, they've further deepened their practice in communicating real stories on challenging and complex topics, they've made connections within research and they've worked on creative outputs grounded in academic rigour. In terms of policy engagement, the team provided bespoke policy advisory work, including sustained engagement with the FCDO teams in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with three well-attended briefings 2021/22. The FCDO Senior Conflict Advisor commented: "Exceptionally useful. All your research outputs are interesting, and timely You can imagine that we're thinking through various scenarios as well as how to prioritise our funding during this period of uncertainty. The research outputs alongside the opportunities to discuss in detail have certainly proved useful." The project convened its own spaces for engagement, which included policy labs, advisory groups, and a distance learning course focused on re-thinking policy at the intersection of drugs, development and peace designed with a policy audience in mind. The project's policy labs made a crucial contribution to meeting project impact. A core group of 14 researchers and policymakers met six times over the course of nine months to learn about and reflect on findings from the programme, learning from invited experts on drugs and peace processes, and developmental alternatives to drug production. In February 2022 the Project held its final conference - Drugs & (dis)order: Findings and Future Directions with representation from all partners across the project. Over 400 people registered and nearly 300 people attended at some point over the three day online event. This was an opportunity to share the project's research and learning with a much wider audience (both academic and non-academic). We have also produced an online Masters' module derived from project research and will shortly produce an online course on 'Drugs and Peacebuilding: Human-Centred Policy Development' which has the potential to significantly extend the reach of the project findings. International network and regional hubs established for drugs/illicit economies research, capacity building & advocacy Given the long term timing of the expected policy change identified by the project, the goal of establishing regional hubs to deepen engagement with the project's findings and build on this with ongoing drugs research-led policy work- was planned as a legacy of the project. Hubs have been successfully established in all three countries, particularly thanks to the capacity-building activities of the project discussed in more detail below. As expected project partners in all three countries have become the bedrock on to which these hubs have emerged. In Myanmar, for example, this is reflected by KRC's success in securing USAID funding to act as a grant dispensing hub in northern Myanmar, supporting local CSOs working on drug issues (see Annexe 2). Partners from across the consortium have also been involved in successful research bids. The project was successful in establishing new international networks for research into illicit economies. Three distinct, ongoing researcher networks have been convened or supported by the project. 1) The Centre of the Study of Illicit Economies, Violence and Development (CIVAD) at SOAS was established in July 2022 with seed funding won by the Drugs & (dis)order team and has subsequently made a successful bid for research funding, with several others in the pipeline. Using Drugs & (dis)order as a foundation, CIVAD aims to expand thematically (to illicit economies other than drugs) and geographically. It is co-organising a seminar series with the Royal United Services Institute (October 2022 - April 2023), with many of the seminars having a foundation in Drugs & (dis)order research 2) The project also supported REDESAL (Latin American Network for Drug Researchers), convened by CESED in Colombia (2018). It held two international conferences (2019 and 2021) with a third planned for 2022. The REDESAL blog on drugs production, trafficking, consumption, and public policy was published throughout pandemic and continues in 2022. 3) The SOAS team established regular learning and networking meetings of social scientists carrying out research on drugs and livelihoods in UK, Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America - to exchange learning on methods, findings and policy engagement. These informal but well-attended meetings have been ongoing since April 2021, have resulted in two panels being convened, and are likely to form the basis of shared future bids. National, bi/multilateral and non-governmental institutions integrate drugs as a development/ peacebuilding issue into their strategies and decision making at the international and national levels. The project engaged in workshops with a broad range of stakeholders at different levels, convening and participating in nearly double the number workshops targeted under this outcome. Notable here are the different levels and spaces of engagement, ranging from a specialist multi-stakeholder advisory group convened for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine research on the health of drug users which exposed a wide range of stakeholders to the research in Myanmar; to a set of ten meetings convened by Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL) in 2021 with social organizations, human rights defenders and congressmen to advance the agenda of reform of narcotics policy and the suspension of forced eradication; to a series of meetings and interactions with the EU, initially based on Christian Aid's relationship with the European Peace Liaison Office. In April 2022, for example, the project was invited by the EU's Delegation to Afghanistan to address 34 senior delegation members about the impact of drugs on livelihoods and the growth of methamphetamine use; DG-INTPA's Afghanistan team leader commented research was "really relevant to our thinking." The project convened aforementioned policy labs in which a core group of high-level policy stakeholders and project researchers met six times for an ongoing conversation on drugs, peace and development. At each lab - the first on illicit drugs and peace, the second on illicit drugs and development - invited experts and policy stakeholders joined for evidence-sharing meetings. The core group of lab attendees included representatives from Afghanistan and Colombia governments; UN Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies; World Bank/Brookings Institute; UNODC; The Transnational Institute; FCDO and the EU. Invited policy stakeholders included GDPDP and Open Society Foundations. (February and October 2021). Those participating commended the initiative and stressed the critical importance of these types of facilitated conversations between researchers and policy makers. They also benefited from comparative conversations across countries and across the policy areas. Two policy briefs created for this process widely used within group and shared beyond it. In Colombia the project has undertaken extensive work with local communities. As previously reported, the research team, based at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, has worked closely with human rights and social activist groups to use evidence gathered through the project to advocate for the rights of peasant farmer communities at both the national and local levels. One example was the presentation of evidence from the project at a judicial tribunal in Cauca that led to a judicial decision to stop the forced eradication of illicit crops in Cauca. The focus of their engagement work with local communities and activist organizations has been to build legal capacities through the provision of training on fundamental rights, and in particular rights and duties within the context of the substitution program; and legal mechanisms and actions for the protection and defence of human rights.
First Year Of Impact 2001
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy
Impact Types Societal,Economic,Policy & public services
 
Description Co-I Gutierrez (Colombian research lead) invited to participate in working group with Congressmen, NGOs and social organizations, to discuss the advances in the formulation of the law on criminal treatment for coca growers who subscribe to the crop substitution program (PNIS)
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Membership of a guideline committee
 
Description Courses on how to combat production, consumption and drug trafficking in Colombia and the wider region.
Geographic Reach South America 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
 
Description FCDO Briefing in the UK
Geographic Reach Asia 
Policy Influence Type Membership of a guideline committee
 
Description FCO South Asia Training Program - Provided one briefing session for senior UN officials on Afghan politics
Geographic Reach Asia 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
Impact FCO South Asia Training Program - Provided one briefing session for senior UN official on Afghan politics to help them tailor working practices/policy perspectives to political realities of the region.
 
Description Invited to contribute to discusion on with secretary of state for international development in the UK on tackling global poverty and achieving the SDGS.
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
 
Description Legal training workshops for social leaders representing coca growers in Colombia
Geographic Reach South America 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
Impact The Colombian research team and Christian Aid have been working with and training civil society groups and social leaders in Colombian border areas to build their capacity and understanding of their legal rights and the legal tools available to them for defense of their rights and strengthening their advocacy in relation to government policy. These workshops were addressed to social leaders linked to crop substitution programs and other causes related to agrarian issues. In addition a policy brief was drafted specifically for these groups with recommendations for action and entry points for shifting policy.
 
Description Meeting with Congressmen in Colombia
Geographic Reach South America 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
Impact The Colombian research team has opened a dialogue with politicians and legislators to move forward a national conversation about the failures of anti-drug policies (including the current substitution policy) and possibly to prompt future legislative reforms.
 
Description Membership of and participation in advisory committees - advice given to Colombian coordinator for UNODC
Geographic Reach South America 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description Online expert workshop
Geographic Reach Asia 
Policy Influence Type Membership of a guideline committee
 
Description Online submission to House on Common Enquiry
Geographic Reach Asia 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
 
Description PI contributed to FCDO Horizon Scanning on 7 Grand Challenges
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
 
Description Participation in Civil Society Dialogue Network Policy Meeting Transitioning from war to peace: What role for the EU in addressing illicit economies?
Geographic Reach Europe 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
URL http://eplo.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CSDN_PM_Illicit_economies_Oct_2019_Key_Recommendations.pd...
 
Description Poicy labs 1 and 2
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
 
Description Policy practitioner workshop with INGOs
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
 
Description Submission from the project on UK government review of SDGs and citation in subsequent report
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
Impact The project submitted evidence to the Voluntary National Review of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The project is cited on p. 201 of the subsequent report.
URL https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/8168...
 
Description Three briefings for FCDO in Kabul/Islamabad
Geographic Reach Asia 
Policy Influence Type Membership of a guideline committee
 
Description Creative Practice and Transnationalism: Visual Art, Aesthetics and Resistance
Amount £154,148 (GBP)
Funding ID 2587303 
Organisation Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2021 
End 09/2024
 
Description Sustainable Lives in Scarred Landscapes: Heritage, Environment and Violence in the Myanmar-China Jade Trade https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/projects/sustainable-development-heritage-environment-violence-china-myanmar-jade-trade
Amount £299,994 (GBP)
Organisation The British Academy 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2018 
End 12/2020
 
Title Advocacy tools and capacity support as a research method 
Description In some of the study regions the team has combined advocacy work with research to complement and reinforce each other. For example, when the Colombian team assisted peasant coca farmers to complete paperwork related to their enrollment in the crop substitution program, the team were able to access the official documentation on the commitments made by coca growers and by Colombian State. In addition, this advocacy work revealed some weaknesses of the program such as the lack of institutional capacity and non-compliance in the implementation of the program within the original deadlines. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact The relationship built with participant groups and the partnership of trust with these communities has been vital for the developing the research and providing insights and access that would have otherwise been very difficult if not impossible. 
 
Title Data management training 
Description The project's data manager provided training and recommendations inside and outside of the project. Training covered: - Data documentation, metadata and data archiving - GDPR, consent and anonymisation - Data management knowledge exchange across GCRF GROW projects 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2020 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Report available for use by others More systematic management of data More secure data management processes Article written for IJDP: Sharing data from research on illicit drug economies 
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Data-management-knowledge-exchange-templat...
 
Title Development of historic mapping methods for the project 
Description The use of declassified US Government satellite imagery collected during the 1960s and 1970s to gain greater insight into the physical and human geography of areas of research interest at the time and compare these with recent satellite imagery to discern change between then and present across a number of thematic areas of interest, for instance settlements, areas of agriculture, infrastructure. This research method can be further enhanced through its integration with further analysis of field and other data collected over these areas of research interest. The use of historic mapping going back decades to digitise historic administrative and national boundaries to compare these with changes to present day administrative and national boundaries and in particular areas where physical barriers are being constructed, to examine the change in human activity in these areas. This research method can be further enhanced through its integration with further analysis of field and other data collected over these areas of research interest. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact This research tool will help to visually demonstrate changes over time in the selected research sites and contribute to the evidence base of the research findings. 
 
Title Life story research method training 
Description Three courses run for the Afghanistan, Colomba, and Myanmar research teams. This combined synchronous and asynchronous learning covering the following objectives: - Understanding the rationale and distinctiveness of life history research - Developing practical skills in using life story interview techniques within research 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2020 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Integration of life histories into the research and using these as the focus of our comics and animations as well as our flagship engagement report - Voices from the Borderlands. This report draws heavily on life histories methodology. 
 
Title Life story research training developed by Co-I Mandy Sadan 
Description Co-I Mandy Sadan has adapted life story methodology for use in the Drugs and (dis)order project and has delivered training to the project partners on this methodology. She has developed a detailed training manual as well as an online course to tailor training and use of the methodology for the different contexts in which the project operates. Life story methodology is drawn from humanities (history/anthropology/ethnography) that add another rich dimension to the political economy analysis of the Drugs and (dis)order project. Key characteristics include: 1. Life stories are personal, historically grounded accounts of memories (although they require sensitive approaches and building rapport for them to be successful in their aims). 2. They bring the past to life in unexpected/surprising ways 3. They help to reveal the emotional dimensions of history and understandings of the present 4. They contain rich information from many different angles 5. They allow the narrator a space to explore memories and reveal experiences that may have been hidden 6. Understanding lived experience may present challenges to academic approaches - by listening carefully to these experiences, there is a the possibility of discovering new concepts or identify previously unknown issues, connections and responses 7. Biographies of places and objects are also revealed through personal stories, not just human stories 8. Stories of displacement and mobility don't necessarily involve physical movement - can locate interesting narrators in accessible environments 9. Life stories can reveal previously unknown complexities, mixed meanings, unseen interconnectedness 10. They can be poetic and convey meanings beyond just description 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Life strories have become a key comparative methodology of the project and has been used in all three case study countries. Emerging from the life strories will be a series of comics and animations aimed at visualising these life strories and translating them for a range of non-academic audiences. 
 
Title Mapping research tool developed 
Description Collaboration partner - Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit have developed a mapping tool to analyse international interventions related to drug production in Afghanistan. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Too early to say 
 
Title Mapping training 
Description GIS mapping training provided by Alcis Included face-to-face training in Colombia. Online training for all project partners. Bespoke and one-to-one training in Afghanistan. Areas covered: ? Introduction to using Spatial Borderlands and ArcGIS ? Overview of mapmaking and developing storymaps in ArcGIS online ? Practical session on developing maps in ArcGIS online 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2020 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Researchers are able to integrate mapping techniques and visuals into their research. 
 
Title Online Spatial Borderland Biographies (SBB) 
Description Alcis - project subcontractor - has created two online Spatial Borderland Biographies (SBB) covering areas of research interest in Afghanistan and Myanmar. These included incorporating mapping data on: Agriculture and crop cycles, transport networks, infrastructural changes, hydrology, population and development interventions. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact These SBBs will be further developed over the course of the project and have the potential to make a make a significant impact on both the conduct of research within the project as well as in time visualising and communicating research findings 
 
Title Updated: Training Toolkit/Handbook for Creative Research Methods and Artistic Research Communication 
Description The Training Toolkit/Handbook are a set of emerging resources from our capacity building programme. The tools intend to build capacity around visual research methods and communication through creative storytelling. These resources seek to draw on our organisational experience as well as our learnings from working collaboratively with our partners over the course of this project. The first iteration of these tools were used in visual storytelling workshops with our Myanmar partners at KRC in 2018. They are currently being refined to be used practically with our partners in the research and production processes taking place this year. These training resources will be made available to all partners in 2019 to aid in the visual research and production of our outputs. We will reflect on their efficacy and our learnings and refine the tools accordingly before making them publicly available at the end of the project. Further developments that have taken place in refining this methodology over the last year include: -Deepening our ethnographic approach by working with more local artists where possible. -Developing collaborative, sustained and networked ways of researching and producing creative research-based outputs. The work of PositiveNegatives is creating a new and innovative approaches to researching and producing these kinds of creative outputs - that can only be achieved through sustained engagement with local partners with deep contextual knowledge of the issues that we are working on. -Developing research methods around understanding the impact of creative storytelling in research settings (i.e. methods and tools around audience testing, production impact with collaborators such as researchers, artists and research participants) In addition to continuing to develop this innovative and creative method we are also exploring how our creative outputs might be used as research tools themselves. This new and novel use of our outputs would represent a key shift in how qualitative research is conducted in these kinds of research environments. This year, we aim to pilot the use of our comics with our partners as hooks into broader discussions on drugs and conflict within interviews, focus groups, workshops, etc. In addition to acting as a prompt into the broader research themes, we also intend to use the initial R&D outputs as research tools to guide our production and engagement work in the years to come, serving as research tools for how to engage the wider public, civil society and policy makers with the project findings creatively and innovatively. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact This handbook will enable collaborating partners in the focus countries, Myanmar, Afghanistan and Colombia to develop their understanding of visual and artistic research communication and the development of creative research methods (story-telling, life-histories) to facilitate innovative methods for analysing and presenting research data. The comics developed will be taken to non-traditional audiences of academic research and hopefully amplify among more marginalised groups through the use of imagery and storytelling. In particular the project is looking to engage youth and civil society actors in the findings of the research. 
 
Title Use of Creative Storytelling Methodology 
Description Development of innovative creative storytelling methodology within this project involving collaborative and ethnographic research, production and engagement of creative stories tied to the research that is taking place in the wider project. While this is a methodology that PositiveNegatives have been developing since its inception in 2012, this project represents a key opportunity to develop our creative methods further in the following ways: -Deepening our ethnographic approach by working with more local artists where possible. -Developing collaborative, sustained and networked ways of researching and producing creative research-based outputs. By being involved in this research project from the onset, and through the relationships that we are able to develop with our local partners over time, we are creating a new and innovative approach to researching and producing these kinds of creative outputs. This has been written up in an article: Creative collaboration: re-thinking 'impact' in artist-academic partnerships in times of conflict t be submitted to the Journal of Humanitarian Affairs 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Animations and comics were produced for the project by local artists using this method. 
 
Title Working with Hybrid samples 
Description Cesed team have is working on a paper on hybrid samples which will offer tools for scholars trying to build samples of hard-to-reach populations where probability sampling is impossible or extremely difficult. The paper develops hybrid sampling strategies to maximize the use of the available information and available resources. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2021 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Not known at this time 
 
Title Data base on Guerrilla presence in Colombia from 1964-2010 
Description Development of a major and unique database that details the guerrilla presence in Colombia. It covers almost the entire history (1964-2010) of the main Colombian guerrillas: FARC, ELN and EPL. The database contains more than 825.000 entries with information collected through several sources: previous databases elaborated by Professor Francisco Gutierrez (Co-I); archival files: mainly, security and intelligence state agencies reports; press: day-to-day review of national press; interviews and testimonies of guerrilla combatants. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Understanding the historical trends and developments in Guerrilla activity in Colombia and its relationship to coca. 
 
Title Database for Afghanistan fieldwork interviews 
Description Collaboration partner - Organisation for Sustainable Development and Research (OSDR) have designed a Multi password protected database for multiple users to securely access sensitive fieldwork data in Afghanistan. This database has separate form for each questionnaire (Key informant questionnaire, Trader Questionnaire, Official questionnaire and Transporter questionnaire) that each user has access only for data entry and no permission to edit or delete records. Data Entry officers simultaneously translate questionnaires from the local language into English and enter it into the database under the direct supervision of database Manager. After the completion of the data entry process the database Manager exports this data to Ms Excel for data logical check and quality control. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact This data base provides and secure space for sensitive data, which can be categorised by security access. The project data manager is advising on the further development and adaptation of the database to provide comparative data indicators that can be used for comparison with data collected in our other fieldwork sites in Myanmar and Colombia. 
 
Title Database on projects and interventions in Nangahar (Afghanistan) between 2002 and 2018 
Description AREU has created one of the most comprehensive database about the projects in Nangarhar from 2002 to 2018. The database includes around 3700 different projects with their budget, location, donors, implementer, and sector. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact This database will provide an invaluable analytical tool for the GCRF project and will have wider benefits for future research into national and international development focused interventions in Afghanistan. 
 
Title Drugs and (Dis)order Drug Trading Route Interviews from Nangarhar and Nimroz, Afghanistan, 2021 
Description Collection of guideline interviews carried out as part of the GCRF Drugs and (dis)order project along two drug trafficking routes in the borderlands of Nangarhar and Nimroz, Afghanistan (grant ES/P011543/1). The purpose of the interviews was to investigate two drug trading routes in the project's study areas from start to finish: the opium trading routes from Shirzad in Nangarhar to Pakistan, and the opium and crystal meth trading route from Bakwa and Khashrod in Nimroz to Iran. The traded commodity is followed along the trade route and the role of various actors is assessed, including the organisations they form, the formal and informal institutions that constrain them along the route and how this governance environment of the trading route keeps defining the value and risks of the commodity along the way. A special focus is on the roles of and functions provided by commanders of armed groups along the trading route, specifically in terms of brokerage functions provided between farmers, traders and political patrons (governmental or Taliban). Face-to-face interviews using question lists were carried out by the Organization for Sustainable Development and Research (OSDR) with 50 people in Nangarhar and 40 in Nimroz. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2042 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/37668
 
Title Drugs and (Dis)order Guideline and Life History Interview Database from Nangarhar and Nimroz, Afghanistan, 2018-2021. 
Description Database of interviews carried out as part of the GCRF Drugs and (dis)order project in the borderlands of Nangarhar and Nimroz, Afghanistan (grant ES/P011543/1). This Nvivo database brings together all interviews conducted in Nangarhar and Nimroz during 2020 and 2021, as well as all life history interviews collected from 2018 to 2021 and village histories collected in 2021. Besides the transcripts, the database also contains all questions lists used whereby transcripts have been coded to those respective questions; and case classifications with demographic and interview characteristics for all interviewees. This database is composed of datasets A3, A4, A5, A13 and A14. References with DOI for these datasets, which have all been archived in this repository or at the UK Data Service are listed below (References). These can be consulted for detailed documentation which is openly available. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/37670
 
Title Drugs and (Dis)order Interviews on Drug Addiction in Nimroz, Afghanistan, 2021 
Description Collection of drug addiction interviews carried out as part of the GCRF Drugs and (dis)order project in the borderlands of Nimroz, Afghanistan (grant ES/P011543/1). The purpose of the interviews was to investigate the social, political and health dimensions of drug use through 46 interviews with drug users injecting drugs, community leaders, religious leaders, health professionals and NGOs who deliver services to drug users. Interviews investigate drug use in the studied districts, the impact of drug supply on drug use, stigmatisation and discrimination of drug users in the community, the impact of drug use on people's health, the provision of health services to drug users (or lack thereof), and the influence of the political situation on the provision of those health services. Face-to-face interviews using a question / topic list were carried out by the Organization for Sustainable Development and Research (OSDR). 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2042 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/37669
 
Title Drugs and (Dis)order Interviews on Drug Economy from Nangarhar and Nimroz, Afghanistan, 2020. 
Description Collection of interviews carried out as part of the GCRF Drugs and (dis)order project in the borderlands of Nangarhar and Nimroz, Afghanistan (grant ES/P011543/1). The purpose of the interviews was to investigate the governance context of the drug economy in border districts in Nangarhar and Nimroz provinces, Afghanistan. This includes guideline interviews with political, social and economic actors, in-depth interviews with political brokers and their socio-professional networks, and interviews with farmers and traders with a history of involvement in the illicit drug economy at some stage in their lives. Ninety-five interviews using a question / topic list were carried out by the Organization for Sustainable Development and Research (OSDR). 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2042 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/37666
 
Title Drugs and (Dis)order Organisational Ethnography Case Study: the Afghanistan Comprehensive Agriculture and Rural Development Facility (CARD-F), 2020 
Description Collection of interviews and observations of CARD-F stakeholders carried out as part of the GCRF Drugs and (dis)order project in the borderlands of Nangarhar and Badakshan, Afghanistan (grant ES/P011543/1). The aim was to carry out an organisational ethnography of the Afghanistan Comprehensive Agriculture and Rural Development Facility (CARD-F), a UK DFID funded programme implemented in Nangarhar and Badakshan from 2009 to 2018 to provide economic alternatives to opium poppy cultivation and increase production of high-value alternative agricultural products. Interviews were carried out with CARD-F programme staff in Kabul, implementing partners, provincial government officials, private investors, and direct and indirect beneficiaries of CARD-F at district and village levels. Sixty semi-structured interviews and one focus group discussion were carried out by the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) in Kabul, Nangarhar and Badakshan. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/37672
 
Title Multiple databases created by the Colombian research team 
Description The Colombian team have developed multiple databases to support their research, including: Database of archival data covering the following topics: Colonization and settlement of the border areas; Social conflicts links to extractive economies and land; Relationship between nation and borderlands; State presence and early presence of armed actors and illicit crops; The history of drug policies, particularly aerial spraying and alternative development (over 2000 archival files digitised and stored); Database of responses for the survey on the crop substitution programme; Database on the coca mobilizations of the 1990s in Putumayo; Database with the main census variables since 1938; Database with the classification of municipalities according to their historical presence of armed groups, illicit crops and colonization. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact These databases are an essential tool for the research analysis witin the Colombian team facilitating both qualitative and quantitatiive/statistical analysis. 
 
Title Press Databases for Colombia 
Description The research team at the National University of Colombia have built several press databases: hese databases were updated weekly. These have become fundamental tools to reconstruct the national and institutional context, and they can eventually be transformed in coded databases. Press database Coca - guerrilla Press database Coca - public force Press database Coca - paramilitary forces Press database Farc - dissidence presence Regional press review (Tumaco, Catatumbo, Puerto Asís, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta) Historical press review (El Tiempo, one of the main newspaper in Colombia) Lethal Violence against Substitution leaders Archive review (archive of the Presidency, Ministry of the interior, ANLA, AGN) 
Type Of Material Data analysis technique 
Year Produced 2021 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact These have formed the basis for a number of reports and wider policy engagements and interventions in legal actions. 
 
Title Press databases for Colombia on categorised Coca coverage 
Description Press databases covering relationships between coca and guerrilla forces, public forces, paramilitary forces, dissidence presence and violence against substitution leaders. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact These have become fundamental tools to reconstruct the national and institutional context, and they will eventually be transformed in coded databases. It also enables the project to track changes in public perception and political presentation in real time. The databases are updated weekly. 
 
Title Spatial Borderline Biographies (SBBs) for Myanmar, Afghanistan and Colombia 
Description Three Spatial Borderline Biographies (SBBs) developed covering areas of research interest in Afghanistan, Myanmar and Colombia. The SBBs are a way of collecting GEO data on key indicators such as: Agricultural crop cycles Transport/road networks Hydrology including catchment areas Locations of previous development projects by type and donor Crop mapping Ambient night time light Cell tower locations and range Security events conflict tracker Security checkpoints Military infrastructure Areas of government control Population Administrative boundaries Imagery over research site areas Border area POIs With the aim of building up data within a mapping tool that can support the research analysis undertaken. 
Type Of Material Data analysis technique 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact These SBBs have the potential to make a significant impact on research analysis within the project and as well in time, visualising and communicating research findings. Initial training has been provided to all, of the in-country research partners on the use of these SBBs. Further face to face training with research partners as well as online webinars on the use of these SBBs and how they can be drawn on to strengthen and deepen research and analysis will continue to be provided through the life of the project. 
 
Description Collaboration to develop local governance performance index in Latin America 
Organisation University of Gothenburg
Country Sweden 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Will conduct research that will contribute to the University of Gothenburg's research programme on Governance and Local Development
Collaborator Contribution The GLD has contributed financially use of their Local Governance Performance Index (LGPI) will allow for international comparisons with the Colombian data collected for the prject
Impact An expansion through funding for the project research to increase from 70 to 100 sites.
Start Year 2019
 
Description Formal collaboration: National AIDS program, Myanmar 
Organisation Ministry of Health and Sports
Country Myanmar 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The National Aids program in Myanmar are part of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)'s ethics submission and will support the research activities of the LSHTM team under the project
Collaborator Contribution As research is yet to commence their main contribution so far has been in developing the research tool and contributing to the project's national ethics submission.
Impact Ethics submission
Start Year 2019
 
Description Formal working agreement: Asia Harm Reduction Network, Myanmar 
Organisation Asian Harm Reduction Network
Country Thailand 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Co-funding research fellow and will lead the project research that will be conducted under this working agreement.
Collaborator Contribution Co-funding research fellow and will work towards implementing the research protocol. AHRN are covering 50% of the FTE salary for the research fellow who will be working on the Drugs and disorder project, which equates to approximately US$23,119
Impact Ethics submission and development of research tool.
Start Year 2019
 
Description Partners with José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers' Collective Corporation (CCAJAR) 
Organisation Colombian Caravana
Department Luís Carlos Pérez Lawyers Collective
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The project through collaborators Christian Aid have provided financial and logistical support for the organisations to run workshops and train local civil society groups in Colombia
Collaborator Contribution Two Christian Aid partners under the project, CCAJAR and CCALCP, have started to support work on promoting voluntary crop substitution. CCAJAR has supported COCCAM with self-protection capacity building and based on COCCAM´s experiences at local level they will help develop legal tools to support them. CCALCP also presented a legal action against the state for its failure to comply with the terms of voluntary crop substitution agreement in the Peace Accords.
Impact This collaboration has contributed to three capacity building workshops and ongoing support for civil society organisations, in particular those representing farmers and peasant groups involved in coca cultivation such as COCCAM and ANZORC
Start Year 2018
 
Description REDESDAL - Network of Studies on Drugs in Latin America 
Organisation EAFIT University
Country Colombia 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution This network of scholars in Latin America was established through the project and is led by the project lead at collaborating partner Universidad de los Andes
Collaborator Contribution These partners helped identify and establish this network and provided financial support for the first conference of the network to fund a number of participants to attend the first conference in Mexico
Impact The Network has established a website, a blog series and a regional conference in Mexico. It will hold the next regional conference in Colombia in 2020. It is an inter-disciplinary network that spans a number of disciplines from health sciences to political and social sciences as well as the humanities and the arts.
Start Year 2018
 
Description REDESDAL - Network of Studies on Drugs in Latin America 
Organisation Inter-American Development Bank
Country United States 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution This network of scholars in Latin America was established through the project and is led by the project lead at collaborating partner Universidad de los Andes
Collaborator Contribution These partners helped identify and establish this network and provided financial support for the first conference of the network to fund a number of participants to attend the first conference in Mexico
Impact The Network has established a website, a blog series and a regional conference in Mexico. It will hold the next regional conference in Colombia in 2020. It is an inter-disciplinary network that spans a number of disciplines from health sciences to political and social sciences as well as the humanities and the arts.
Start Year 2018
 
Description REDESDAL - Network of Studies on Drugs in Latin America 
Organisation Northwestern University
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution This network of scholars in Latin America was established through the project and is led by the project lead at collaborating partner Universidad de los Andes
Collaborator Contribution These partners helped identify and establish this network and provided financial support for the first conference of the network to fund a number of participants to attend the first conference in Mexico
Impact The Network has established a website, a blog series and a regional conference in Mexico. It will hold the next regional conference in Colombia in 2020. It is an inter-disciplinary network that spans a number of disciplines from health sciences to political and social sciences as well as the humanities and the arts.
Start Year 2018
 
Description REDESDAL - Network of Studies on Drugs in Latin America 
Organisation Open Society Foundations
Country United States 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution This network of scholars in Latin America was established through the project and is led by the project lead at collaborating partner Universidad de los Andes
Collaborator Contribution These partners helped identify and establish this network and provided financial support for the first conference of the network to fund a number of participants to attend the first conference in Mexico
Impact The Network has established a website, a blog series and a regional conference in Mexico. It will hold the next regional conference in Colombia in 2020. It is an inter-disciplinary network that spans a number of disciplines from health sciences to political and social sciences as well as the humanities and the arts.
Start Year 2018
 
Description REDESDAL - Network of Studies on Drugs in Latin America 
Organisation University of Göttingen
Country Germany 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution This network of scholars in Latin America was established through the project and is led by the project lead at collaborating partner Universidad de los Andes
Collaborator Contribution These partners helped identify and establish this network and provided financial support for the first conference of the network to fund a number of participants to attend the first conference in Mexico
Impact The Network has established a website, a blog series and a regional conference in Mexico. It will hold the next regional conference in Colombia in 2020. It is an inter-disciplinary network that spans a number of disciplines from health sciences to political and social sciences as well as the humanities and the arts.
Start Year 2018
 
Description Steering Committee Member, Asia Foundation, Myanmar 
Organisation The Asia Foundation
Country Thailand 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Co-I Meehan was invited to join the steering committee of a new FCDO/Asia Foundation project on conflict in Eastern Myanmar, which aims to inform policymakers working on issues of conflict and peacebuilding. Title of the project is: 'Understanding the persistence of conflict in Myanmar's eastern borderlands' October 2020 - April 2021
Collaborator Contribution He will serve on the committee in and advisory capacity and identify any links and opportunities to collaborate with the GCRF project
Impact None yet
Start Year 2021
 
Description Study on the cocalero peasant economy and cocalero social mobilizations. 
Organisation Government of Colombia
Department Ministry of Culture, Colombia
Country Colombia 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The Project team at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia conducted the research
Collaborator Contribution The Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH), part of the Ministry of Culture provided additional funding to carry out this work under the remit of the project.
Impact The study on the cocalero peasant economy and cocalero social mobilizations.will be written up into an academic paper
Start Year 2019
 
Description 12 Blogs 2021/22 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 12 blogs from 2021/22:
Explaining Afghanistan's failed counter-narcotics policy and opportunities for policy engagement (Feb 2021);
Journeys to borderlands always seem to lead to unexpected surprises (Feb 2021);
Five considerations for international actors trying to engage with drugs policy in Myanmar (May 2021);
What the book 'Mushrooms at the end of the world' can teach us about investigating life and policymaking in drug-affected borderlands (May 2021);
Taking a political slogan seriously - reflections on a policy lab (May 2021);
Drugs 'trilemma': how to halt the deadly trade while still ensuring development and peace (May 2021);
Pathways to opposing centralised and exclusionary drugs policy in Colombia (May 2021);
Afghanistan: what the conflict means for the global heroin trade (August 2021 - The Conversation);
Afghanistan: heroin and human trafficking are the only two sectors of the economy still thriving (December 2021);
Living with radical uncertainty in rural Afghanistan (Feb 2022 - Afganistan Anlaysts Network Special Report)
Militias at the margins: implications for post-war stabilisation (March 2022)
Crop substitution challenges in environmentally protected areas in Colombia (March 2022)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021,2022
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/2022/03/04/crop-substitution-challenges-in-environmentally-protected-...
 
Description Adam Pain invited to advise FCDO on design for their humanitarian and development strategies for Afghanistan under the Taliban. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Adam Pain (researcher) was invited by Overseas Development Institute to join in advising FCDO on the design for their humanitarian and development strategies for Afghanistan under the Taliban. Adam shared project findings from CARD-F amongst other information
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Advice to UK goverment on policy towards Tailban 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Submission to Call for Evidence 573
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Advocacy Tour in Colombia with ASCAMCAT (January 2022), engaged UN HHRR, UN Verification Mission, Ombudsman's Office and Government of Norte de Santander. 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This event allowed communities in Catatumbo, more specifically the women and youth, to develop and propose concrete actions with different local authorities, using the PNIS Perception survey as an evidence base.
- UN HHRR agreed to include the list of women and youth that participated in the workshop in their data base of Human Right Defenders, so they can follow up and support them.
- The Ombudsman's Office agreed to carry out a course with women in Catatumbo on Human Rights Defense.
- The Government of Norte de Santander agreed to include the voices of women and youth of Catatumbo into the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive strategy for the care of communities in Catatumbo, which includes topics such as health, education, alternative viable economic activities.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Anti stigmatisation campaign 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Under the project's remit, Christian Aid, Colombia, contributed to the anti-stigmatisation campaign with COCCAM (civil society organisation representing coca and Marujana growers in Colombia) and communications agency Trineo in Colombia 11-25 May. The Twitter campaign included videos, infographics, graphics, radio lots, press releases, and posters and agendas to disseminate in territories. Campaign evaluation conducted and showed satisfaction with the campaign.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL http://coccam.co/
 
Description Article for The Conversation - Afghanistan: heroin and human trafficking are the only two sectors of the economy still thriving 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Written by Jonathan Goodhand (PI) and Jan Koehler (Research Associate)
58 comments
52 Twitter shares
86 facebook shares

Over 10k reads
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://theconversation.com/afghanistan-heroin-and-human-trafficking-are-the-only-two-sectors-of-the...
 
Description Article for The Conversation - Afghanistan: what the conflict means for the global heroin trade 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This article by the PI - Jonathan Goodhand - received a substantial readership of over £183k
77 Twitter shares
495 Facebook share/likes
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://theconversation.com/afghanistan-what-the-conflict-means-for-the-global-heroin-trade-165995?u...
 
Description Article for The Conversation - Drugs 'trilemma': how to halt the deadly trade while still ensuring development and peace 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Article by Joanthan Goodhand (PI) and Patrick Meehan (Co-Investigator). Over 10k reads
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://theconversation.com/drugs-trilemma-how-to-halt-the-deadly-trade-while-still-ensuring-develop...
 
Description Blog by Christian Aid - Drugs and disorder: Why the EU must change focus to improve the lives of those who grow illicit crops to survive 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Paul Quinn, Head of From Violence to Peace, outlines arguments from the policy brief produced for the project which calls for a change in attitude to illicit crops and a refocus on the rights and needs of those who grow them.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.christianaid.org.uk/news/drugs-and-disorder-illicit-crops-policy
 
Description Blog by Christian Aid - Faces that Sow: Changing perception of Coca Growers in Colombia 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Susana Vesga (Christian Aid Colombia) explains how a campaign, led by Christian Aid Colombia and its partner COCCAM, aimed to change perceptions of coca growers in the country.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.christianaid.ie/news/faces-sow-changing-perceptions-coca-growers-colombia
 
Description Blog series - 15 blogs 2020-21 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact 15 blogs posted in 2020-21:
1. Journeys to borderlands always seem to lead to unexpected surprises
2. Naming the elephant in the room to imagine better policy (Nov 2020)
3. Colombia: does peace still have a chance? (Nov 2020)
4. Three things Jessica's story tells us about coca growing, violence and development in Colombia (Sep 2020)
5. In the world's forgotten borderlands, the drug trade helps people survive - but at a cost (Aug 2020)
6. Colombia faces a second deadly threat (Aug 2020)
7. Four lessons from running our first interactive online workshop (Jul 2020)
8. Adapting Drugs & (dis)order to the COVID-19 pandemic (Jun 2020)
9. After coca, what? Colombia's failing illicit crop substitution programme (May 2020)
10. Addressing coronavirus in conflict zones: three factors policymakers should consider (April 2020)
11. Mastering the art of living with radical uncertainty in Afghanistan (April 2020)
12. The intimidation and assassination of social leaders: Colombia's other pandemic (April 2020)
13. Three strategies to transform approaches to illicit drug economies (March 2020)
14. Illegality, violence and fragility: do they breed each other? (March 2020)
15. Five reflections on Asia's drug policies for the 2020s (Jan 2020)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/category/blog/
 
Description Briefing to FCDO staff in Kabul and Islamabad 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Third in series of briefings for FCDO in Kabul/Islamabad. 12 from FCDO attended requests for a 4th briefing in a couple of months (depending on the progress of research and the outputs). Karen Brock (policy engagagement lead) followed up with David Renshaw, responsible for a new agriculture programme due to be funded in the autumn, for a two-way briefing.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Briefing to SIDA 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Sharing details of project with SIDA lead policy specialist on peace and security to share with in-country offices
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Chemonics webinar on Engaging elites to resolve conflicts 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact PI spoke at the event drawing on finding from the project. One person convening the event noted that: they will draw on some of the ideas and concepts in future discussions and work.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Co-I Patrick Meehan made a presentation to the U.S. Department of State on Burma January 2023. Online presentation: "The political and economic situation in Burma/Myanmar since the February 2021 military coup." 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Meehan was invited by the US State Department as an expert witness to give evidence about the post-coup situation in Myanmar. This session provided expert advice about how US policy makers should engage in the current context within the country.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Collaboration with CAJAR to develop modules and legal strategies against forced eradication 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact Christian Aid and Universidad Nacional de Colombia collaborated with CAJAR (Human Rights organisation working with civil society groups in Colombia) to develop modules and legal strategies against forced eradication.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Colombia's Broken Peace Launch Event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact PositiveNegatives are co-hosting launch events with RODEEMOS EL DIÁLOGO aimed at academics, artists and the Third Sector (with a focus on Colombia) for the project animation, Colombia's Broken Peace. These events (one in Spanish and one in English) included a screening of the animation and an artist Q&A, with our collaborating artists in Colombia.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://uk.rodeemoseldialogo.org/2022/02/colombias-broken-peace-launch/
 
Description Comic launches 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Colombia Comic: 'Jessica's Story' was released and published on International Peace day (21/09/20) - published on PositiveNegatives website, Drugs & (dis)order website and across PositiveNegatives social media channels.

Afghanistan comic 'Jangul's Story' was released and published alongside the Voices from the Borderlands launch on 29/07/20: published on PositiveNegatives website, Drugs & (dis)order website and across PositiveNegatives social media channels.

Info on PositiveNegatives social media reach and audience:
We have an approximate reach of 10K followers spread across three key channels: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Our followers on these channels largely consist of: artists, comics enthusiasts, NGO workers, humanitarian workers, academics, funding bodies, postgraduate students, teachers, educators, museum workers, journalists, and others in the arts and creative sector.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://positivenegatives.org/story/drugs-and-disorder/
 
Description Consulted by UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Co-I Meehan consulted by the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) regarding armed conflict in Shan State and Kachin State (February 21)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Contribution by Co-I Nemat at UN Geneva Conference Side event 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Brief remarks from AREU Director Dr Orzala Nemat At the Geneva Conference Side Event: Institutional and societal methods for fighting corruption, 23 November 2020 - noted the project findings and importance of contextualizing corruption and understanding its local meanings and effects.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://areu.org.af/events/geneva-conference-remarks/
 
Description Development of project website and social media profile 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Website was launch in 2019 and includes a blog series and a platform for project publications including working papers and policy briefs as well as project videos. In addition we increased our twitter activity and now have 454 followers. We also launched an external newsletter on project activity, providing quarterly updates.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/
 
Description Drugs & (dis)order Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The Drugs & (dis)order online conference brought together academics and policy stakeholders from government, civil society and international organisations to learn from research on the role of illicit drug economies in conflict-affected borderlands, and to debate policy and practice at the interface of illicit drugs, development and peacebuilding. Over 400 people registered for the conference and nearly 300 attended at some point over the three days.

The conference marked the end of the four-year, Drugs & (dis)order research project, funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/event/drugs-disorder-findings-and-future-directions/
 
Description Drugs & (dis)order newsletter 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Drugs & (dis)order Newsletter June 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://mailchi.mp/9c3f39ed5926/new-videos-five-reflections-on-asias-drug-policies-the-historical-ro...
 
Description Drugs & (dis)order newsletter 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Drugs & (dis)order Newsletter December 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://mailchi.mp/3bca5b885bea/new-videos-five-reflections-on-asias-drug-policies-the-historical-ro...
 
Description Drugs & (dis)order newsletter (April 2021) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Drugs & (dis)order Newsletter (April 2021)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://mailchi.mp/7524580ec2c0/new-videos-five-reflections-on-asias-drug-policies-the-historical-ro...
 
Description Drugs & (dis)order newsletter (May 2021) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Drugs & (dis)order Newsletter May 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://mailchi.mp/47364c960a3f/new-videos-five-reflections-on-asias-drug-policies-the-historical-ro...
 
Description Drugs & (dis)order podcast series 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Podcast series exploring how illicit drugs have been approached within peace processes in Afghanistan, Colombia and Myanmar and the impacts of this on borderland communities. Four episodes cover the following areas: Gender, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Colombia
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021,2022
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/category/multimedia/
 
Description Drugs & (dis)order: building sustainable peacetime economies in the aftermath of war, Myanamr, Afghanistan and Colombia 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Drugs & (dis)order researchers present their work in Afghanistan, Colombia and Myanmar helping to transform debates, practices and policies relating to drugs and development in conflict affected and post-conflict states at the University of Cambridge Centre of Development Studies Seminar Series 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/event/drugs-disorder-building-sustainable-peacetime-economies-in-the-...
 
Description Evidence given to tribunal in Cauca, Colombia on forced eradication 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Member of the research team based at Universidad Nacional de Colombia gave evidence at a tribunal that ordered the National Army to stop forced eradication of illicit crops. The evidence of the researchers was pivotal to the outcome and was derived from research undertaken as part of the project and analysed the effectiveness of the Colombian crop substitution programme (PNIS). The implications of this ruling is potentially significant for many peasant farmers subject to aerial fumigations and forced modes of crop eradication.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Evidence to House of Lords Committee 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Verbal and written submission to a call for evidence from the UK House of Lords committee. What are Afghanistan's principal economic sectors and trade relationships? How can they be built on to achieve SDGs and create jobs and livelihoods? To what extent are the illegal drugs trade and the grey economy an important source of income?

The emerging report: HOUSE OF LORDS Select Committee on International Relations and Defence - HL Paper 208
2nd Report of Session 2019-21: The UK and Afghanistan includes 11 citations of the project evidence

Includes 11 citations of the project evidence.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL http://bit.ly/3snJLPR
 
Description FCDO Horizon Scanning 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact PI Jonathan Goodhand gave a 45-minute 121 interview to PWC, acting as consultants in FCDO horizon scanning exercise. He was invited to speak to the 'open societies and conflict resolution' grand challenge
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Focus group with social leader in Puerto Asís (Putumayo) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact The National University in Colombia conducted a focus group with leaders from different villages in Puerto Asís, which was facilitated by the Ombudsman's Office. In this activity the problems of compliance and implementation of the National Program of Substitution of Illicit Crops were discussed, as well as the situation of insecurity for those who participate in the program.

In this focus group 5 social leaders participated, as well as 3 officials from the Ombudsman's Office and 2 members from the research team.

The purpose of this activity was to collect inputs for the construction of evaluations of the programme
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Geneva Peace week panel 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Session convened and facilitated at Geneva Peace week on: How can we build peace in conflict-affected borderlands? Participants were Jonathan Goodhand, Paul Quin and Orzala Nemat.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Hosting dialogue event: "Kachin: Uniting for a future without Drug use" 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This event brought together organisations with opposing views on tackling drug use in Kachin State to generate a dialogue, exchange of ideas and shared lessons. The event was hosted and facilitated by project partner Kachinland Research Centre (KRC).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Informal briefing with EU ambassador to Myanmar 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Informal briefing with EU ambassador to Myanmar, by a SHAN researcher, supported by Patrick Meehan (Co-I) with a set of key points from the Stakeholder analysis and launch event prepared by Pat
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description International Advisory Group 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The International advisory group provides strategic oversight for the project and the uptake of its findings; reinforce linkages between the project and the relevant academic, policy/practitioner and funding communities; provide a sounding board on research plans, methodological innovation and emerging findings. The IAG will meet annually and will facilitate and advise on critical points of policy engagement.

The IAG is composed of the following 8 members drawn from key stakeholder groups and covers different disciplinary backgrounds, thematic and geographical expertise and academic and policy experience. It is composed of the following people:

Prof.. Jenny Pearce, Latin and Caribbean Centre, LSE
Prof. Sam Hickey, Global Development Institute, University of Manchester
Prof. Emma Crewe, Prof. of Social Anthropology, SOAS
Dr. William Byrd, Senior Expert Afghanistan, USIP
Ms Bianca Jinga, Head, Governance, Conflict, Security Pillar, DFID
Prof Mark Shaw, Director of the Centre for Organised Crime, University of Cape Town
Mr Tom Rodwell, Stabilisation and Conflict Advisor, UK Government Stabilisation Unit
Dr. Dina Balabanova, Associate Prof in Health Systems Analysis, LSHTM
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Interview to Bloomberg News 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Jonathan Goodhand PI gave an interview to Bloomberg Westminster podcast on US/UK troop withdrawal and its consequences
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2021-07-06/bloomberg-westminster-mother-of-frustrations
 
Description Latin American Network of Academic Experts on Drugs and Drug Policy 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Collaborating partner, Universidad de Los Andes has, as part of this project, established the first network of academic experts on drugs and drug policy in Latin America. This network will strengthen the capacity of the University's Centre for the Study of Security and Drugs (CESED) to contribute to policy debates in Colombia and Latin America by making research produced in the region more easily available. Moreover, the network will facilitate inter-disciplinary, collaborative and comparative research in the region.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Link anti-narcotics programmes with peace-building, Christian Aid advises 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Following Christian Aid press release on Policy Brief: Violence, peace and drugs in the borderlands and article in the Church Time covered the findings
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2022/28-january/news/world/link-anti-narcotics-programmes-wit...
 
Description Media coverage - El Espectador 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Las violaciones a los derechos humanos por la erradicación forzada de coca: 21 July 2020, El Espectador.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.elespectador.com/colombia2020/territorio/las-violaciones-a-los-derechos-humanos-por-la-e...
 
Description Media coverage - El Espectador 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Article by Frances Thomson (postdoc) and Camilo Acero on drug substitution programme (PNIS)
Después de la coca ¿qué? El moribundo Programa Nacional Integral de Sustitución
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.elespectador.com/colombia2020/opinion/despues-de-la-coca-que-el-moribundo-programa-nacio...
 
Description Media coverage - El Espectador 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Assassination of social leaders: the other pandemic that the government refuses to face By: Observatory for Restitution and Regulation of Agrarian Property Rights
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.elespectador.com/colombia2020/territorio/asesinato-de-lideres-sociales-la-otra-pandemia-...
 
Description Media coverage of Voices from the Borderlands - Indepenent 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact If the narcotics trade can boost development and bring peace, it's time to rethink the 'war on drugs' - by Ian Hamilton
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/war-drugs-narcotics-trade-development-peace-colombia-afghanista...
 
Description Media coverage of Voices from the Borderlands - Vice 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact The Drug Trade Can Help People In War Ravaged Countries, Says Report
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5pkaw/drug-trade-benefits-uk-report
 
Description Media coverage of project policy brief on illicit economies and SDGs 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Coverage of the policy brief included:
The 2019 policy brief on 'Peace, illicit drugs and the SDGs' was launched and disseminated through the media.
- RTE: https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0711/1061405-war-on-drugs/
- Huffington Post: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/war-on-drugs_uk_5d26630ae4b0583e482b8f2f
- ReliefWeb: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/peace-illicit-drugs-and-sdgs-development-gap
- Ekklesia: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/28588
- https://www.premierchristianity.com/News/World/War-on-drugs-harms-the-poor-says-Christian-Aid
- Independent Catholic News: https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/37475
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/war-on-drugs_uk_5d26630ae4b0583e482b8f2f
 
Description Meeting with Chatham House on 20th December 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Meeting with Senior Researchers in Chatham House with particular expertise in South Asia (Afghanistan/Pakistan) to present information about the project to key stakeholders with a view to discuss potential overlaps and collaboration in the research.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Meeting with Colombian Congressmen to discuss results of survey 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The project lead at the National University of Colombia met with two congressmen and their work teams. In these meetings the Colombian research lead presented the results of the survey evaluating the implementation of the crop substitution programme. The survey findings provided evidence of the shortcomings of the policy and highlighted breaches of the Colombian government policy. The congressmen were very interested in the results and requested further analysis is shared with them. Through this intervention an the wider coverage of the survey, the project was able to make a clear and evidence-based contribution to the national conversation about the failures of anti-drug policies (including the current substitution policy) and possibly to undertake legislative reforms.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Meeting with Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) to provide input on Afghanistan Peace Process document. 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Project represented at a meeting with UK government staff (FCO, DFID, MoD) and a group of other academics/experts to discuss the ongoing Afghan Peace Process and to identify potential risks during and after the talks.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Meeting with The Asia Foundation in Afghanistan in Nov 2019 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact PI and Afghanistan post-doc met with Senior Researchers in the Asia Foundation who are carrying out similar cross-border research in (Afghanistan/Pakistan). We introduced the GCRF project and discussed mutual support and sharing of information and findings.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Multiple events with Civil society and activist groups in Colombia (Tumaco, Catatumbo and Putamayo) to present project findings 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact With the launch of the multimedia special, we had great achievements in dissemination. National University research team established a communicative strategy on twitter and send the database via e-mail. They obtained a positive response from the COCCAM and other organizations that actually share and have used the database. Received an important response from the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP for its acronym in spanish) who are really interested in our work and they will created a special group that investigate this topic. A national newspaper (El Espectador) wrote an article based on the database information.

In 2021, we have organized four relevant events to communicate our results.
-First, we discussed the IJDP Colombia results in a virtual event. Beyond our researchers we had the opportunity to invite the program investigator lead Jonathan Goodhand and José Gutierrez as our special guests. The event had great resonance and audience.
-Second, we launched the Aerial Spraying report on August in a virtual event too. In this event, two social leaders from Tumaco and Catatumbo were able to attend and presented their views related to this problem.
-Thirdly, we presented the PNIS survey results in several events in Tumaco. On October 5th, we did a public event in Tumaco to discuss these results with public officials, social leaders, local authorities, and other territorial actors.
-Laslty, we did a PNIS report launching event on December 10th. We submitted our report on the Observatory website, and we presented a second multimedia special that presents the stories of PNIS users in Tumaco and how they have faced the non-fulfilmment of the substitution program.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Myanmar Roundtable Meeting, 20th November 2018, Yangon 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This meeting brought together twenty representatives from various organisations (both international and national) working in Myanmar on armed conflict and drug issues. The event was hosted at The Asia Foundation and was chaired by a representative of DFID Burma. It provided an opportunity for the GCRF Drugs and (Dis)order project to introduce our work and to ascertain advice from those working on related issues in Myanmar. The roundtable focused specifically on analysing the relationship between the drug economy and the country's current peace process, key drug policy issues in Myanmar, how policies and programmes related to drugs, development and peacebuilding can be better integrated, and current knowledge gaps on these issues in Myanmar. This marks the first of what will be a series of roundtable meetings in Myanmar over the life-time of the project. The roundtable included representatives from DFID, UN organisations (UN Mediation Support Unit Department of Political Affairs), international donors (e.g. OSF), international and national NGOs (e.g USAID, Conciliation Resources, International Alert) and research organisations (e.g. Drug Policy Advocacy Group).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Myanmar: why peace remains elusive 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Patrick Meehan - Co-Investigator leading the Myanmar team invited to give a talk by Les Amis Le Monde Diplomatique's Café Diplo explores why peacebuilding efforts continue to face huge challenges despite the country's democratic transition and formal peace process.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/event/myanmar-why-peace-remains-elusive/
 
Description NORIA Research presentation (Patrick Meehan and Orzala Nemat) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Project researchers presented on a panel with other leading organisations (Open Society Foundation, GIZ and Oxford University) working in the field.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description PI invited to contribute to UK foreign office study on engagement options with the new Taliban government 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Jonathan Goodhand (PI) invited to input to FCDO-funded study of the 'engagement space' for the UK government in Afghanistan
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Panel discussion on: 'Mitigating the Inequality-Conflict Nexus: What is the way forward?' 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Jonathan Goodhand (PI) invited to participate in a panel on 'Mitigating the Inequality-Conflict Nexus: What is the way forward?'
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Participation in 'Dialogues on illicit crops and transitions to licit economies' - Ana Arjona 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Ana Arjona participated as an expert in the "Dialogues on illicit crops and transitions to licit economies" organized by the Ideas for Peace Foundation in Colombia in the fall of 2021. The goal of these dialogues was to identify the most important challenges regarding security, development, and environmental protection that the next Colombian government will have to face, and what can be done to achieve goals in these three domains.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Participation in Civil Society Dialogue Network Policy Meeting Transitioning from war to peace: What role for the EU in addressing illicit economies? 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The overall objective of the meeting was to gather analysis and recommendations from civil society experts on how the EU can better engage with the issue of illicit economies in its development and conflict prevention work, in particular in contexts transitioning from war to peace. The meeting was focused in particular on insights from Colombia and Myanmar.
The meeting participants included 24 civil society experts working on issues relating to illicit economies in fragile and conflict-affected contexts and policy-makers from the European Commission (EC) and the European External Action Service (EEAS). Seven people from the project, representing five partners (SOAS, Christian Aid, KRC, SHAN and Universidad Nacional de Colombia) where invited and funded to attend the dialogue.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/event/transitioning-from-war-to-peace-what-role-for-the-eu-in-address...
 
Description Participation in Foreign and Commonwealth Office Roundtable on the Afghanistan Presidential Elections - 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The project's post-doctoral fellow working on Afghanistan (Bhatia) and Director of AREU (Nemat) contributed to UK government roundtable discussion on the peace process in Afghanistan.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Participation in Overseas Development Institute's workshop on Lessons for Peace 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact Event designed to develop practical ideas around developing better policy for sustainable peace processes
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Participation in drug policy workshop - Myanmar 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact This workshop was organised by the Transnational Institute for representatives of civil society organisations with the aim of examining connections between opium and conflict, with a particular focus on Myanmar. The workshop aimed to allow participants to formulate alternative drug policy options and contribute to the political reform process and peace in the country. One of the GCRF project team gave a lecture at the workshop on Drugs and conflict in SHAN state and introduced the project to the workshop participants.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Participation in two webinars run by Health Poverty Action 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Project contributed to two webinars as part of the Health Poverty Action webinar series on: 'Legal Regulation through a Development lens'. One on tax justice and the other on sustainable livelihoods.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbkau_UAJB87nTnNxV9Se1Q
 
Description Podcast - COVID-19 in Colombia's borderlands 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Podcast launched on impact of Covid 19 on conducting research in the Borderlands of Colombia: A conversation with Camilo Acero Vargas and Diana Ximena Machuca (Universidad Nacional de Colombia), Maziyar Ghiabi (SOAS University of London), and Tim Rhodes (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine). Feb 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/2021/02/16/covid-19-in-colombias-borderlands/
 
Description Policy brief and workshops for social and civil society leaders working with peasant farmers. 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact The Colombia team prepared a document for the exclusive use of COCCAM (coca growers collective) on the public policy implications of their crop substitution survey results. The brief highlighted opportunities for developing a narrative change about coca growers and their role and contribution to the peace process as well as changing perceptions around coca growers and their motivations.

The team have also held workshops on the use of legal tools for the defense of fundamental rights. These workshops were addressed to social leaders linked to crop substitution programmes and other causes related to agrarian issues. In the second semester of 2019 the project held a workshop in Puerto Asís (Putumayo) and another in Tumaco (Nariño).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Policy lab 1 - Peacebuilding 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Drugs & (dis)order will ran the first of two policy labs in Feb 2021 with senior policymakers and experts, across the fields of development, peace-building and drugs policy. It was focused on illicit economies and peace processes. The policy labs aim to engage with some of the 'difficult questions' surrounding the challenges and realities of putting drugs, development and peacebuilding policies into conversation with each other, thereby expanding the range of options that may be considered by policymakers. The lab will revolve around a small core group of participants, including both project researchers and representatives from the Afghanistan and Colombian governments, the UN Pathfinders Group, UNODC, World Bank/Brookings Institute, US Institute for Peace, the UK Stabilisation Unit and the Transnational Institute. The blog linked below outlines some of the assumptions and motivations behind the policy lab: Naming the elephant in the room to imagine better policy.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/2020/11/11/naming-the-elephant-in-the-room-to-imagine-better-policy/
 
Description Policy lab 2 - Alternative development 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Drugs & (dis)order ran the second of two policy labs in October 2021 with senior policymakers and experts, across the fields of development, peace-building and drugs policy. It was focused on illicit economies and alternative development. The policy labs aim to engage with some of the 'difficult questions' surrounding the challenges and realities of putting drugs, development and peacebuilding policies into conversation with each other, thereby expanding the range of options that may be considered by policymakers. The lab revolved around a small core group of participants, including both project researchers and representatives from Afghanistan and Colombian governments, the UN Pathfinders Group, UNODC, World Bank/Brookings Institute, US Institute for Peace, the UK Stabilisation Unit and the Transnational Institute. The project's Policy Lab convenes a high-level stakeholder group to consider critical questions for policy interventions. The Lab is also designed as a space for participants to develop their own learning around issues of drug economies and peace-building. The longer-term ambition is for this capacity and thinking to have a cascading effect across the organisations and networks represented.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Practitioner Workshop: "Drugs and peace" 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact The objective of the workshop is to share views and perspectives with other INGOs on how issues of illicit drug economies have arisen in their peacebuilding and development work, and how they have been addressed - or if not, why not. Led by CA this event engaged International Alert, Asia Foundation, Forum ZFD, Adapt Peacebuilding, and Health Poverty Action.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Presentation of results of survey conducted by National University of Colombia and Christian Aid 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact In August 2019 we held an event in Bogota to present some results of the PNIS (national crop substitution programme that emerged from the peace agreement) evaluation survey. Social organizations, PNIS officials and former officials, congressmen, officials from various agencies and academics were invited to this event. This exercise was also carried out in Puerto Asís (September, 2019) and Tumaco (October, 2019), municipalities where the survey was applied.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/event/colombias-national-illicit-crop-substitution-programme-voices-f...
 
Description Presentation on data management in fragile and conflict affected states for training course 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Presentation given on the Drugs & (dis)order project approach to data management at the "Challenges and complexities of researching abroad" event, organised by Research and Enterprise Office, University of Essex, 14 May 2019.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://shortcoursesgateway.essex.ac.uk/Guests/GuestCourse.aspx?CourseRef=NEW%3ACRA&dates
 
Description Presentations given to teenagers to engage them in the work of the project and youth affected by drugs 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Sai All (researcher) from Myanmar joined a session to discuss drug use in Shan State, using the PositiveNegatives comic as a way to engage people with the topic. The informal feedback was that having the opportunity to learn about the situation in Myanmar was transformative for many students and a highlight of the week. One Year 12 participant said: 'I found Sai's presentation really impactful. It really made me reflect on the privileges (and freedoms!) that I am so lucky to have". The event was organised by the Sutton Trust which promotes social mobility through programmes, research and policy influence.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Presented on Myanmar and Afghanistan Peace process at British Academy hosted workshop on Local Peace Processes 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact On 9 October 2019, the Political Settlements Research Programme and the Austrian Study Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution hosted a Joint Analysis Workshop on local peace processes at the British Academy in London.

The workshop brought together leading researchers, peace-builders, mediators, and representatives from the United Nations, the UK Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Speakers included practitioners working to support local peace processes in Yemen, Syria, Nepal, Myanmar, Philippines, Libya, Jordan, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

3 of the project team presented at this event.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Press coverage of survey findings from Colombia crop substitution survey 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The results of the survey was covered by the main media on television (Caracol TV), radio (RCN) and press (El Espectador). In addition, we published an article in the press and on the project's web page detailing the main findings of the survey:

El Espectador: Written article in leading national newspaper about the event and survey, ahead of event https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/politica/presentan-evaluacion-participativa-del-programa-de-sustitucion-de-cultivos-articulo-875662
RCN radio:Written article and audio interview with Francisco Gutierrez https://www.rcnradio.com/colombia/programa-de-sustitucion-y-erradicacion-de-cultivos-ilicitos-es-fragil-segun-investigacion
El Espectador Published article writen by Camio Acero and Margarita Marin. https://www.elespectador.com/colombia2020/pais/revelan-encuesta-sobre-sustitucion-los-productores-de-coca-articulo-876596
Razon Publica Video interview with Diana Machuca https://www.razonpublica.com/index.php/multimedia/videocolumnas/12194-poca-efectividad-de-la-erradicacion-forzada.html
Revista Semana Written interview with Francisco Gutierrez https://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/funcionamiento-del-programa-de-sustitucion-de-cultivos-ilicitos/629064
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/politica/presentan-evaluacion-participativa-del-programa-de-su...
 
Description Public launch for flagship publication Voices from the Borderlands 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This event brought together actors from the drugs, development and peacebuilding fields to explore the tensions and trade-offs that exist between these different policy fields and the uneven distribution of costs and benefits of interventions. Issues discussed included:

How can we rethink the relationship between drugs, development and violence in war-to-peace transitions?
What are the big trade-offs that need to be tackled?
How can we better incorporate the voices and perspectives of those involved in illicit economies into policy debates?

Speakers:
Orzala Nemat, Director, Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (Moderator)
Ann Fordham, Executive Director, International Drug Policy Consortium
David Keen, Professor of Conflict Studies, London School of Economics
Estefanía Ciro Rodríguez, Professor, Universidad de los Andes

Presenting voices from the borderlands:
Camilo Acero Vargas, Researcher, Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Jasmine Bhatia, Research Fellow, SOAS
Dan Seng Lawn, Director, Kachinland Research Centre
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/event/tough-trade-offs-integrating-drugs-development-and-peacebuildin...
 
Description Public launch of project policy brief 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The project policy brief - Peace, illicit drugs and the SDGs' - was launched at a public event held in London on July 11th 2019. Over 100 people registered for the event and just under 100 attended. The event was covered in the national media.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description REDESDAL conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact With support from the project, the REDESDAL Network held its 2nd Conference, (27th-28th May 2021). Jointly, the universities of Northwestern (USA), Gothenburg (Germany), EAFIT and CESED (Colombia) organized the conference. In total, 22 scholars from 9 different countries attended the conference. Joana Monteiro, Head of the Center for Applied Research in Public Security at Getulio Vargas Foundation (Brazil) gave the closing keynote conference.his conference is strengthening ties among scholars doing research on illicit drugs throughout Latin America, creating opportunities for collaboration and giving visibility to research within the region. We expect REDESDAL to contribute to both research and policy engagement across countries.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.dropbox.com/s/0es7b4b5188yfd9/Programa%20-%20REDESDAL%20II.pdf?dl=0
 
Description Radio interview for Konflikt 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Patrick Meehan gave an interview to Konflikt, Swedish Public Radio's foreign affairs show. Part of the interview broadcast but the full interview will be used as a podcast
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Roundtable with key stakeholder in Afghanistan to brief them on the project 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact On 5 November 2019, AREU organized a roundtable at the Serena Hotel in Kabul to highlight research updates on the Drugs and (Dis)order project in Afghanistan. Participants included representatives of the Afghanistan government, national and international NGOs and CSOs. They discussed a wide range of topics including the current nature of coordination among various stakeholders, especially with the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL).

The participants also discussed the traditional mechanisms such as criminalization and securitization to address the issue of drugs and were of the view that the issue should be looked at from a wider angle in order to give space to apply spatialized approach to political economy analysis.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://areu.org.af/events/roundtable-to-discuss-drugs-and-disorder-project-in-afghanistan/
 
Description Roundtable with the European Peacebuilding Liaison Officer 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Roundtable convened by EPLO to discuss Policy brief on violence, peace and drugs.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Royal Geographical Society Monday Night Lecture 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact PI invited to give a lecture at the Royal Geographical Centre on the project findings.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description SOAS Executive Briefing, Irish Embassy, Bangkok. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Gave a talk to Embassy staff on: Myanmar's stalled peace process: Ongoing armed conflict, regional implications, and the challenges of peacebuilding and development aid.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Seminar Series: Illicit Economies, Violence and Development 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact A seminar series was convened with the Royal United Services Institute, which involved 6 sessions and included academics and senior policy makers , to explore the linkages between illicit economies, violence and development, and the policy implications of better understanding these linkages.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022,2023
URL https://drugs-disorder.soas.ac.uk/seminar-series-illicit-economies-violence-and-development/
 
Description Seminar as part of Humanitarian Hub series 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact As part of the SOAS Humanitarian Hub Seminar Series 2020-2021, Drugs & (dis)order researchers present key messages from it's research in seven drug- and conflict-affected borderland regions of Afghanistan, Colombia and Myanmar, and reflect upon their implications for humanitarian actors operating in drug- and conflict-affected contexts, followed by audience Q&A.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/event/borderlands-conflict-and-illicit-economies-challenges-for-human...
 
Description Sharing findings for a study on Afghanistan-Pakistan trade 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The PI and consultant researcher Jan Koehler shared our findngs for a study on Afghanistan-Pakistan trade carried out by ITC but commissioned by FCDO, to inform UK policy towards supporting trade in order to bolster Afghanistan's economy
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description South Asia Regional L&D Series - UK in Afghanistan 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The South Asia Regional L&D series speaks to a range of contemporary issues of particular interest and relevance to FCDO working in the region. This session looked at Afghanistan's religious networks, tribal, cultural, and ethnic politics, as well as the British Embassy Kabul's positioning in Afghanistan's socio-political landscape. PI Jonathan Goodhand was one of four presenters.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Talk given to the Lahore University of Management Sciences 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Jonathan Goodhand (PI) invited to speak on 'Back to the future: reflections on failed state-building and a Taliban victory in Afghanistan'
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Talk to Royal United Institute (RUSI) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Webinar to discuss the impact of Covid- 19 on the delivery of aid, working with warring parties and militias, and other security challenges.
Panelists:
General (Ret'd) James Cowan CBE DSO, Chief Executive Officer, The HALO Trust;
Lyse Doucet OBE, Chief International Correspondent, BBC News;
Professor Jonathan Goodhand, Professor in Conflict and Development Studies, SOAS;
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://rusi.org/event/mapping-pandemic-managing-instability-pandemic-and-conflict
 
Description Townhall meeting convened by FCDO on Afghanistan research 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Townhall meeting on future of research on Afghanistan
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Training at FCO South Asia Training Programme 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Post doctoral research fellow provided a briefing session for senior UN officials on Afghan politics
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Two briefings for FCDO, Myanmar on the post-coup political economy 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Co-I Patrick Meehan was invited by FCDO Myanmar to give two briefings on the post-coup political economy in the country, with particular reference to the role of the drug economy
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Two briefings to FCDO staff in Islamabad/Kabul 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Briefing given to FCDO staff in Islamabad and Kabul on conflict and borderlands.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Two engagement events for Jessica comic - one in English and one in Spanish co-hosted with Rodeemos el Diálogo (ReD) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact Colombia Engagement - English Comic launch event with Rodeemos el Diálogo (ReD) on 08/10/20, with 31 registered, mostly from within academia.
Colombia Engagement - Spanish Comic launch event with Rodeemos el Diálogo (ReD) on 02/12/20, with 20 attendees, mostly from within arts, grassroots activism and academia in Colombia. Due to the political situation of the protagonist in Colombia, this was a small closed door event.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Two launch events for project working papers hosted by AREU 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Two project working papers launch in public events hosted by AREU
1. Mules, Pick-ups and Container Traffic: Cross-Border Production and Trade and the Shaping of the Political Economy of Nangarhar
2. Catapults, Pickups and Tankers: Cross-Border Production and Trade and How It Shapes the Political Economy of the Borderland of Nimruz,
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ72YGG0q3Y_wBVNNreaRyQ
 
Description Two panels (on Militias and Borderlands) at the Royal Geographical Society conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact The project convened two panels at the Royal Geographical Society conference known to attract 2000 globally
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Two papers presented at UNRSID conference: Development, Environment and Peace Nexus conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Two papers presented by PI Goodhand and Co-I Meehan in session on: Borders and borderlands in the twenty-first century
Goodhand: "Rethinking the Margins: Conflict and change at the edges of the state"
Meehan: "War to peace transitions viewed from the margins'
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://unrisd.org/deepen
 
Description Two part Masterclass for FCDO on Myanmar 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office virtual masterclass. Insights into Myanmar's stalled peace process: A two-part masterclass.
1. War amidst peacebuilding: Understanding armed conflict in Myanmar's transition
2. What have they got to lose? Understanding ethnic minority resistance to the national peace process
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description UK Stabilisation Unit Briefing 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Briefing given to around 90 participants from across UK government on: Illicit economies and borderlands: political economy research from Afghanistan, Colombia and Myanmar.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Various media engagement on Taliban takeover in Afghanistan 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Daily Telegraph- 17-Aug-21- PI quoted in media article on Afghanistan
AFP - 20-Aug-21 - PI quoted in media article on Afghanistan
Scope 20-Aug-21 PI video interview on Afghanistan
BBC Business Daily - 24-Aug-21 - PI radio interview on Afghanistan
Los Angeles Times - 29-Aug-21- PI quoted in media article on Afghanistan
Primedia Broadcasting - 07-Sep-21 - PI live radio interview
Huck - 30-Sep-21 - PI quoted in media article on Afghanistan
BBC World Service Indian language programme - 22-Oct-21 - PI radio interview on Afghanistan
ABC RAdio National, Australia- 22-Dec-21 - PI radio interview on Afghanistan
BBC World Service - 22-Oct-21- PI interview
ABC Radio National, Australia -22-Dec-21 - PI interview
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Various meetings with creative and artistic organisations and individuals in Myanmar and Colombia 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The engagement activity that PositiveNegatives undertook for the first year of the project was aimed at building an initial network in the countries of focus with other Third Sector organisations and creative organisations and individuals. This included taking preliminary closed internal meetings to develop an understanding around each other's scope of work, aims and networks. From this existing network, we will conduct more external and wide ranging engagement throughout the project. Engagements included:
Meeting with PEN Myanmar Director, a network of over 300 artists and journalists on 06/03/18 at PEN Myanmar in Yangon;
Meeting with 3 members of the Kachin Artist Association, a network of 200 Kachin artists in Mytikyina on 23/2/18
Separate meetings with over 20 artists and 4 gallery owners in Yangon and Myitkina over the period from Feb 2018 - April 2018;
Separate meeting with over 20 artists and 2 gallery owners in Colombia over the period from Jan 2018 - March 2018;
Separate meetings with NGOs in Colombia for future collaboration and dissemination: Rodeemos al Dialogo, Ruta Pacífica de las Mujeres, Casa de la Mujer, Mama Coca, Somos Guardianes del Atrato, Terra Digna, Pacifista! (Proyecto Coca II - Misión Rural), Entrevinetas
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Various talks and invitations to speak on Taliban takeover by Jonathan Goodhand (PI) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Jonathan Goodhand spoke on a panel about engagement with the Taliban @ Institute of Advanced Studies, UCL
Jonathan Goodhand spoke on panel: What does Taliban rule mean for the region and the west? Hosted by the Open Forum
Jonathan Goodhand spoke on panel: Afghanistan: taking stock and looking forward convened by Australian Evaluation Society
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Workshop with Cocayá residents in Puerto Asís (Putumayo) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The objective of the workshop was to know the perception of the inhabitants of the Cocayá village, in the municipality of Puerto Asís, about their participation in the Ranger Families Program, as an alternative for the substitution of illicit crops.

Participants in the activity were coca farmers who entered the Forest Ranger Families program in order to replace crops but who argued that the state failed to meet its commitments. For this reason, today they are denied the opportunity to enter the National Illicit Crop Substitution Program derived from the Peace Agreement.

Approximately 20 people attended the workshop.

The GCRF research team in Colombia promised to build a report on the results of Rangers Families in the village in order to help build a repository of information that allows the town residents to strengthen their advocacy processes before the municipal, departmental and national authorities.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Workshops for community leaders 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact The research team in Colombia organized two training workshops with community leaders to promote access to information in the substitution program.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description World Bank Fragility Forum - invited to form a panel on illicit economies - two webinars held online due to Covid 19 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The project was invited to form a panel with representation of the Afghanistan and Colombia country teams at the 2020 World Bank fragility forum (now postponed to a later date). The Fragility Forum is a high-level event which brings together practitioners and policymakers from around the world to exchange knowledge and experience on engaging in environments affected by fragility, conflict and violence (FCV). Over three days, the Forum aims to provide an opportunity to harness the collective brain trust of stakeholders coming from government, international institutions, donor agencies, private sector, civil society, academia and media to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of development approaches to achieve lasting impact. It has been held three times previously.

The 2020 Fragility Forum will focus on implementation challenges and ways to achieve lasting impact for countries affected by fragility, conflict and violence.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://drugs-and-disorder.org/event/webinar-peace-illicit-economies-development-pathways-out-of-con...